TIRUMALA: Ankurar Panam, a ritual marking the commencement of the nine-day annual Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara, was performed in accordance with tradition at the pre-designated time here today.
Ankurarpanam means ‘starting’ and also ‘foundation’. The ritual thus signifies that it is preparing the ground for the nine-day rituals of Srivari Brahmotsavams. ‘Ankuram’ means seed and ‘Arpana’ means giving, here it means sowing. In the sacred ritual ‘nava dhanyams’, nine varieties of foodgrains, representing nine-days are sown in the earth for germination.
Priests, after taking permission from the Lord, go in a procession to the Alwar Gardens located in the ‘Nairuti’ (south-west) direction of the temple for securing ‘putta mannu’ (soft mud of an ant hill) and the event is called ‘Mrutsangrahanam’.
The mud is brought to the temple where it is placed in ‘palikalu’ (sacred urns) in which the ‘Nava Dhanyams’ are sprinkled and milk and water are poured amid chanting of mantras.
Later, Vishwaksena, the Commanderin- Chief of Lord Venkateswara’s armies, is ‘informed’, who then sets out of the temple in a grand procession to extend invitations to Gods, Goddesses, Yaksha, Gandharva, Kinnera, Kimpurusha, Naga, Apsaras and Manavas to attend the grand festival of Lord Venkateswara to be performed by Lord Brahma being invisible.
A richly-decorated open palanquin, bearing the Senadhipati Varu (Lord Viswakasena), is taken out in a procession along the Four Mada Streets, during which the Commander-in-Chief reviews the arrangements. Satisfied, he goes back into the temple, marking the end of the ‘Senadhipati Vari Utsavam’.
Meanwhile, priests perform special pujas inside the temple for the safe conduct of the Brahmotsavams which are celebrated for the welfare of the mankind.
With the absence of Specified Authority chairman J Satyanarayana and temple executive officer IYR Krishna Rao, joint executive officer J Bhaskar inspected and reviewed the arrangments made for the mega event which will be attended by lakhs of devotees from all over the country.