Devotees Gather for Anivara Asthanam Festival with Religious Fervour

Quick summary

• The annual ‘Anivara Asthanam’ festival was celebrated at Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala on Wednesday with religious fervor.
• key rituals included the pre-dawn proceedings, followed by the ‘asthanam’ ceremony where idols of Lord Malayappa, His divine consorts, and Viswakasena were seated on a high altar facing the main deity.
• A senior pontiff presented half a dozen silk ‘vastrams’ ceremoniously to the chief priest as part of an age-old tradition. These were adorning deities during rituals.
• Authorities from Sri Ranganatha temple in Tamil Nadu also gifted customary silk ‘vastrams’ to mark historic ties between temples.
• TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu, Executive Officer J. Syamala Rao, Additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary, board trustees, and officials attended the event.
• A procession of ‘Pushpa Pallaki’ was held in the evening where utsava idols adorned atop a floral palanquin made using approximately 60 quintals of flowers encircled the shrine.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The celebrations at Tirumala’s Anivara Asthanam reaffirm both cultural and spiritual continuity for millions who hold Tirumala sacred across India and abroad. The exchange of silk vastrams between temples highlights centuries-old connections within South india’s religious fabric-showcasing unity among spiritual centers despite geographic distances. The large-scale participation by temple authorities ensures adherence to ancient traditions while keeping rituals relevant in modern contexts.

Additionally, events like these contribute to promoting local heritage and devotional tourism around India’s iconic sacred sites-a notable socio-economic driver for states like Andhra Pradesh with pilgrimage-focused infrastructure tied to such festivities.For full details: Read More