Tirumala, September 27, 2013: The famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara is being spruced up for the nine-day annual Brahmotsavams festival scheduled to commence on October 5. The entire town has assumed a festive look with arrangements for the mega religious carnival in full swing.

Colourful illumination

The entire temple complex, including its towering Gopuram and the inner precincts of the hill temple, besides the mada streets through which the two-time daily processions of the deity will be organised on all days during the festival period, are colourfully illuminated with assorted shades of electrical lighting.

Adding grandeur to the event, electrical cut-outs depicting images of Lord Vishnu in various ‘avatarams’ have been erected at vantage points.

The sprawling open space in front of the main temple complex has been fragmented into several sections for the benefit of the devout, besides being barricaded. Barricading of the open steps gallery all along the mada streets encircling the hill temple is also nearing completion. The works relating to Sapthadwaralu and erection of separate ‘Harathi’ queue lines at different points along the mada streets have been completed.

Floral exhibition

The TTD garden department has geared itself for setting up a floral exhibition.

Noted floral artists from the neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have already been extended invitations to participate in the mega festival and entrusted with the responsibility of embellishment works during the festival period.

The district police administration, apart from beefing up security arrangements, has also formulated traffic regulations to be reinforced, besides identifying separate parking lots.

The Dharma Prachara Parishad, Dasa Sahitya, Annamacharya project and public relations officials have chalked out a detailed programme for the grand conduct of the cultural and religious programmes, including discourses by eminent spiritual personalities at TTD Asthana mandapam as well as Nada Nirajana mandapam.

The management also has embarked on a massive recruitment programme of drafting at least one thousand Srivari Seva volunteers a day for the nine-day festival period. On the other hand, TTD Executive Officer MG Gopal, on Thursday, was on an inspection spree visiting various places atop the hill town.

Source: The Hindu, September 27, 2013