The three-day annual ‘Jesthabhishekam’ began at Lord Venkateshwara temple here on Wednesday. Popularly known as Avidyaka Abhishekam, the festival saw priests perform two special rituals at the Kalyana Mandapam in the Sampangi Prakaram inside the temple. Religious rituals like ‘Sata Kalasa Prathista’, ‘Nava Kalasa Avahana’, ‘Shanti Homam’ and ‘Kankana Prathista’ were also performed.
The ceremony was followed by offering ‘Snapana Thirumanjanam’ to the processional deities of Lord Malayappa and his two consorts amid chanting of sacred verses from religious texts.The ceremony was performed in the presence of temple pontiffs and was attended by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) New Executive Officer J. Shyamala Rao and other senior temple officials.
The festival takes place annually on a date coinciding with the Hindu month of Jestha. The golden armour (‘kavachanam’) which protects the idol from the wear and tear of daily rituals is ceremonially removed and replaced with diamond armour, marking the climax of the day-long festivities.
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