TIRUPATI: About a lakh pilgrims had a holy dip in the temple tank of Goddess Padmavathi in Tiruchanur on `Panchami Theertham.'

With this the nine-day Kartheeka Brahmothsavam in the temple observed with a lot of zeal and devotion by locals reached its grand finale.

The annual Panchami Theertham otherwise called `Chakra Snanam' was performed in the spruced-up mandapam on the banks of the temple tank. The ceremony lasting about two hours began with elephant bearing the `sare' -- prasadams -- sent by the Lord of the Seven Hills in honour of His celestial spouse. The `sare' comprising a set of silk vasthrams, sandal, saffron and turmeric pastes, green turmeric plants, laddu and vada and so on are specially brought to Tirupati by the Tirumala temple priests on foot.

In line with an age-old custom the `sare' was then carried by a pair of temple elephants in a grand procession to Tiruchanur with thousands of devotees following the pachyderms amid chants of `Govinda.'

As the elephants reached the Tiruchanur Tirumanjana mandapam, the priests waiting there received the prasadam with traditional honours and used them for the celestial bath given to the Goddess and Sudarsanalwar amid chanting of verses from scriptures by a battery of Veda pundits drafted on special duty for the fete.

A mass of devotees who gathered all along the tank witnessed the abhishekam. TTD installed CCTVs at vantage points for a clear view and for the benefit of those who could not make it to the venue.

As the auspicious moment arrived, priests carried the Sudarsana Chakra down the flight of steps into the tank and dipped it in the water. Thousands of devotees who were already waiting either waist deep in the tank or on its four banks plunged simultaneously into the water in devotional ecstasy signalling the end of the grand annual festival.

The crowd this year was unprecedented and but for the elaborate precautionary measures taken by the TTD and security officials to cope with the rush, there would have been utter chaos. APSRTC operated special buses and police deployed additional forces on bandobust duty at all vulnerable spots.

The TTD and the numerous charitable trusts and mutts located in the town, including the Srirangam Srimad Andavan Ashramam, performed Annadanam to the devotees even as the TTD's SV Arts College students lent a hand.

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