TIRUMALA: The five-day `Balalayam and Asta Bandhanam' ritual, which is performed once in 12 years, concluded on Friday at the temple of Lord Venkateswara, Tirumala, with the performance of `Maha Samprokshanam.'

A string of special rituals preceded the Maha Samprokshanam which was conducted inside the temple on Friday afternoon.

Soon after the performance of the sacred `Poornahuti' at the Yagasala - specially set up for the purpose adjacent to the sanctum sanctorum - the ritwiks carried the sacred gold and silver `kalasams' and went round the Ananda Nilaya Prakaram encircling the sanctum sanctorum in a grand procession followed by the Lord's preacher - Sri Ramanujacharya and the processional deities of Lord Malayappa Swamy and his two divine consorts, Lord Rama

and Lord Krishna.

Religious fervour

After taking `Anugna' of the presiding deity, the chief priest carried the main golden Kalasam and climbed the wooden staircase atop the three-storeyed golden canopy - Ananda Nilayam.

The entire temple complex was in the grip of religious fervour.

Amid chanting of Vedic hymns and to the rhythmic beat of the traditional temple drums and blowing of horns the chief priest carried out the sacred `Maha Samprokshanam' atop the `Vimana Sikharam' in a religious manner with the sprinkling of the Mantra Jalam (Holy water) on the Vimana Kalasam while the other priests simultaneously carried out the Samprokshanam ritual at all the other sub-temples situated inside the main temple complex.

`Mangala Harathi'

Later, `Mangala Harathi' was performed to Lord Garuda embossed on the majestic Dwajasthambham.

Another important feature was that an ardent devotee of the Lord, a resident of Chennai, who in the near past donated liberally on several occasions, also shared the lion's share of the ritual expenses which also includes getting a gold coating done on the Vimanam.

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