TTD gears up for ‘Ratha Saptami’ on Jan. 26

Lord will be taken out in a procession on seven ‘vahanams’

The TTD is gearing itself for the grand conduct of the annual ‘Ratha Saptami’ festival slated on January 26. Immense importance is attached to the festival which is also known as 'Surya Jayanti' as the Lord is taken out in a grand procession on seven different ‘vahanams’ in periodical intervals during the day around the thoroughfares of the temple town reminding one of the mini Brahmotsavams. The festival commences with the break of dawn when the Lord is taken out on ‘Surya Prabha Vahanam’ and concludes with the ‘Chandra Prabha Vahanam’ in the night. Watch the glimpses of Tirupati Brahmotsavam

Tens of thousands of devotees converge at the north-west corner of the temple town to witness the celestial event of the first ray of the Sun descending on the feet of the deity atop the ‘Surya Prabha Vahanam.’

In connection with the religious carnival, the temple administration has annulled all kinds of ‘arjita sevas’ being performed inside the temple including the privileged forms of darsan being extended to the senior citizens, special citizens and parents with infants.

On the other hand, the Tirumala-based TTD JEO K.S. Srinivasa Raju, who closeted with the heads of various departments on Tuesday, instructed them to gear up to meet the requirements of the visiting pilgrim crowd which will be at its peak. The vigilance and security personnel were instructed to make required arrangements for the smooth conduct of the day long festival.

Meanwhile, the Annadanam officials were also directed to ensure uninterrupted supply of food packets and drinking water to all the devotees.

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Leopard scare grips Alipiri area in Tirupati

A leopard was sighted many times in the locality last week

‘Leopard scare’ has once again gripped the Alipiri area, with the regular sighting of a big cat and its pug marks in the locality.

After the carcasses of a dog and a calf were found near a compound wall, apart from a half-eaten body of a deer last week, the area is in the grip of fear; especially the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School, Sri Venkateswara Vedic University campus and the TTD’s model temple built to facilitate the SVBC crew shoot the ‘mock’ rituals of Tirumala. All these contiguous compounds are located on the Tirumala foothills, abutting the Saluva Narasimharaya bypass road that connects Alipiri and Cherlopalli.

Venkatramana, a push-cart vendor who sells ice-cream near Bhavan’s campus, said that he was nearly frozen to see a leopard chasing two deer near the model temple at around 8.30 a.m. on January 15. “The big cat, however, retreated after seeing a speeding bus,” Mr. Venkatramana told The Hindu .
It happened during the Sankranti holidays for the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School where 2,179 students study.
The animal’s movement was also recorded in the CCTV camera installed at the southern gate in the early hours of January 8. “As teachers and parents expressed their fear, we have written to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, seeking measures to trap the leopard,” says Bhavan’s honorary director N. Satyanarayana Raju.
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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Offers Spl Puja at Tirumala

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who takes pride in showing an aversion for religious rituals, on Tuesday performed a special puja for Lord Venkateshwara at Tirumala Hills at Tirupati.

​Siddaramaiah arrived at Tirupati on Monday evening with his family members and close confidant and Cooperation Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad.

He performed a special puja early in the morning on Tuesday.

‘No Special Reason for the Visit’

Speaking to reporters outside the temple, Siddaramaiah tried to downplay the significance of his puja by stating that he has been visiting the temple around the beginning of every new year coinciding with his wedding anniversary.

He admitted that he has not had darshan of Lord Venkateshwara after becoming chief minister.

He said there was no special reason or occasion for his visit. “I prayed for the welfare of the people of the country and the state,” he said.

His Tirupati visit, however, is being seen as part of the religious rituals his family members want to perform to protect his health and ward off evil forces. It may be recalled that recently there was a fire in his helicopter just before he was to fly to Mysuru.

After this incident, Siddaramaiah and his family members had performed an elaborate puja at the temple of his family deity at his native village Siddaramanahundi.

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Apollo chief Dr Prathap C Reddy donates golden satari to TTD

Tirupati: Dr Prathap C. Reddy, the chairman of the Apollo Hospitals, donated a ‘golden satari’ to the TTD-run Lord Kodanda Ramaswamy temple in Tirupati on Monday.

Dr Reddy and his wife Sucharitha were accorded a traditional welcome on their arrival at the entrance of the temple by the priests and TTD officials led by deputy executive officer P. Harindranath.

Later Dr Reddy and his wife handed over the new golden satari, worth Rs 24 lakh, to the TTD officials. They then offered prayers to Lord Kodanda Ramaswamy and  received the Lord’s prasadams.

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