GRAND CELEBRATION OF SRI KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI AT TIRUMALA
Tirumala, 25 August 2016: The holy festival of Sri krishna Janmashtami was celebrated with religious and bhakti fervor at various locations in Tirumala on Thursday.
RITUALS AT GOGARBHA GARDENS
The Janmasthami and Utlotsavam festivals were conducted as a feast to all devotees at the Gogarbha gardens in Tirumala. Amidst vedic mantra chanting pujas were performed to Sri Krishna in the Gogarbha gardens after the Punaya Havachanams.
Abhishekam was also performed with Cow milk, Perugu, Honey, parimala, sandal and other scented liquids. Later he was adorned with silk head gear, uttariyam, dhoti and garlands with colorful flowers. The youth teams also participated in the Utlotsavam conducted there upon and competed with each other to break the pot of curds held aloft a great height.
Large crowds of devotees participated in the event and also partook special anna prasadams prepared for the event. TTD garden department Dy Director Sri Srinivasulu and garden dept staff participated in the dynamic open air event.
AT SRIVARI TEMPLE
Sri Gokulashtami was celebrated at the Srivari temple also tonight at the Golden doors of the sanctum after Ekantha thirumanjanam was performed to utsava idols of Srinivasa, Sridevi, Bhudevi and Sri Krishna.
The Ekantha thirumanjanam is also described in agamas as Dwadasha Thiruvaradhana . It was on this occassion of Sri Krishna’s birth that the mantra of “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya ” was chanted by the priests and holy men.Later the utsava idols are taken inside the Ananda Nilayam.
Thereafter the decorated utsava idol of Sri Krishna with a butter vessel in hand in the reclining pose is installed in the golden sarva bhoopala vahanam. During the decoration process the Jeeyangars and Vaishnavacharyas recite Divya Prabandha Parayanam which is described as ‘Seva Kalam’. The Priests worship Sri Krishna with tulasi garlands and also recite the 3 chapter of Srimad bhagavatam referring to Sri Krishna avatar. The harati and naivedyam will herald the conclusion of Salakatla Gokulashtami Asthanam at Srivari Templeది and the utsava idols are taken into sannidhi of the temple.
UTLOTSAVAM
The colorful and glittering festival of youth attempting to hit the butter vessel tied high will be grandly celebrated on the four mada streets of Srivari Temple tomorrow ,August 26 from noon 1.00 Pm to 5.00 PM.
ISSUED BY PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, TTDs,TIRUPATI