ANKURARPANAM PERFORMED IN CONNECTION WITH ANNUAL PAVITHROTSAVAM
TIRUMALA, AUGUST 13: The annual three-day Pavitrotsavams of Srivaru in Tirumala will commence on Sunday (August 14) and conclude (August 16) on Tuesday while Ankurarpanam for the celestial fete was observed on saturday evening.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTDs) celebrates Srivari Pavithrotsavam every year on the important days of Ekadasi, Dwadasi and Trayodasi in the month of Sravana as per Hindu calendar. This festival is known as “Festival of Purification”.
This festival was first instituted by Saluva Mallaiah Deva Raja in 1463 A.D. at Tirumala during the period of Saluva Narasimha as per the inscription 157 present in Srivari Temple.
During these three days, Tirumanjanam and Homam are performed to the main deity and as well as primary idols of Lord Sri Venkateswar Swamy.
The significance of the festival is that the priests symbolically seek the pardon of the Lord for their acts of all omissions and commissions committed either knowingly or unknowingly during the performance of daily rituals to the presiding deity inside the temple all through the year.
ANKURARPANAM: As a prelude to this purification festival Ankurarpanam was performed a day before where in nine types of cereals were sowed in an earthen container marking the beginning of the festival.
Ankurarpanam or beejavapanam is one of the most important rituals of the Vaikhanasa Agama. One can see ankurarpanam being done in almost all the festivals that are part of the worship of the Lord. Ankuararpanam essentially means “sowing the seed”. The essence of this ritual is to make a sankalpa to celebrate a utsavam( festival) and get the grace of the Lord.
ISSUED BY THE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER TTDs, TIRUPATI