TIRUMALA: Religious fervour marked the Bagh Savari festival observed at the Hill shrine of Tirumala on Friday evening. The festival, which is celebrated a day after conclusion of the nine-day Brahmotsavam, has great significance and conveys the message of the bonding between a devotee and the Lord.
Legend has it that Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavathi, in the guise of ordinary humans, destroy the flower gardens grown up by Ananthalwar, a devotee of Lord who introduced Pushpa Kainkaryams in the temple, only to testify his dedicated devotion.
In a bid to catch hold of the ‘Divine Human Couple’, Ananthalwar succeeds in tying up the Goddess to an Aswatha tree in his garden while the Lord escapes from his clutches running anti-clock wise. Later, Ananthalwar realises his mistake and carries the Goddess in a floral basket to the Srivari temple and reunites her with the Lord.
In connection with the festival, the processional deities of Lord Malayappa Swamy and his two consorts were taken around in a procession from the main temple to the Ananthalwar gardens situated on the south-west corner of the temple complex.
After observing certain religious formalities at the gardens, the deities were again taken back to the main temple. The TTD officials, priests and Jeeyar Swamys and scores of devotees and locals took part in the festival. TTD EO Dr D Sambasiva Rao, temple Peishkar R Selvam, partpathyedar Ajay and others took part.