VV PURAM:Shravana maasa, the auspicious fifth month in the Hindu calendar, is here, drawing out hordes of devotees to temples enshrining Shiva and Venkateshwara.
While Mondays are special for Shiva, Venkateshwara temples see the most crowds offering flowers, abhisheka and prayers on Saturdays.
“The devotees, who double during this period, sponsor the prasada and flower decoration. The swamy abhishekas, archanas, samoohika parayana are performed daily,” said Tiruvenkatachar, a purohit at Lakshmi Venkateshwara Temple in VV Puram.
“Though this place is surrounded by Telugu speaking people, devotees of all Hindu castes visit the temple during Shravana,” he added.
Cultural programmes held in the temple premises, usually in the evenings, are an added attraction.
During the Shravana maasa, every Saturday, the deity is bedecked with fruits and flowers, pearls and diamonds. “We open from 5.30 to 11 am, and again from 5.30 pm to 10 pm.”
Not far off, at Valmiki Anjenaya Temple on Food Street, a huge Venkateshwara idol is erected every Shravana maasa, where special sevas are organised.
Around 25,000 people flock to Kote Sri Prasanna Venkataramana Swamy, near City Market, every Shravana Shanivara.
The shrine, believed to be five centuries old, stands tall amid commercial establishments.
“People have great faith in this temple. As they say, old is gold. They feel that whatever their wishes will be granted by this Lord,” said Krishna Swamy, a fifth generation purohit who has been offering pujas here for over 40 years now. He is among the 15 purohits who serve at the temple.
Devotees usually sponsor the various decorations inside the temple. “While there are various other sevas offered, we also perform Kalyanotsava every Sunday. The temple is open between 5.30 am and 1 pm and between 5 pm and 10.30 during Shravana maasa,” Krishna Swamy said.