SNAPANA TIRUMANJANAM TO GODDESS GOES “ARCHID WAY”
TIRUCHANOOR, NOV 20: Snanapana Tirumanjanam-the special bath rendered to the processional deity of Goddess Padmavathi Devi during annual brahmotsavams occupies a significant place.
This year, this ritual assumed special importance as the beauty of the Goddess has been enhanced with the specially prepared Archid garlands which stood as a special attraction.
The ritual began in the specially decorated Sri Krishna Swamy temple mukha mandapam by 12.30pm on Thursday with Viswaksena Aradhana followed by Punyahavachanam, Navakalasabhishekam and Rajopacharama has been performed in a ceremonious way. This ritual lasted for nearly two hours and during each phase of ritual, the processional diety is decorated with a specially designed archid garland. On the other handthe TTD garden department has specially designed the mukha mandapamwith a concept of “Astottara shata Kalasa Mandapam” to carry out snapana tirumanjanam during brahmotsavams
Sri Gopi Swamy, senior Paricharika who is behind the concept of designing beautiful garlands with flowers, archids, dry fruits, fruits etc said that starting from the beginning of the ritual till its end, over nine differently designed garlands have been decorated to the Goddess on the second day of Tirumanjanam. “The donors from Tamilnadu prepare these garlands as per our request”, he maintained.
Meanwhile, the second day snapanam witnessed the first garland in the form of grapes, then lavendar colour archid with yellow crysanthimum replaced it in the second phase. After the completion of snapana tirumanjanam with each ingredient such as mjilk, curd, honey, coconut, turmeric, sandal, the garlands were changed to Goddess.
After rendering bath to Goddess with milk, a combination of maroon archid and lavender crysanthimum has been decorated. The next garland was knitted in rosepetals and white lillies after completing celestial bath with curd. This combination followed by a green orchid with pink crysanthimum after rendering Sankhadhara, Chakradhara, Sahasradhara, Mahakumbhabhishekams. Like this the colourful combinations of these archids decked to Goddess enhanced Her beauty by multiple times.
Before garlanding the Goddess with the sacred Tulasi garlands, Kuruveru garlands (garlands prepared out of forest cuscus) were also decorated. The preists under the supervision of the Kanakana Bhattar Sri Manikantha Swamy rendered vedic hymns from Taittariya Upanishad, Purusha Suktam, Sri Prasna Samhita while the Snapana Tirumanjanam process is underway.
Finally the Nakshatra Harathi and Kumbha Harathi were rendered to Goddess marking the completion of Snapana Tirumanjanm.
TTD top brass officials and temple staffs, large number of devotees
witnessed this celestial bath.
ISSUED BY TTDs PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, TIRUPATI