Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

A summer sojourn after 32 years Lord goes on a summer sojourn

A.D. Rangarajan

TTD revives `Ponnakalva Utsavam' amid great fanfare

TRADITION REVIVED: Deities of Lord Govindaraja and his consorts getting a celestial bath at the Ponnakalva Mandapam on the outskirts of Tirupati on Wednesday.— Photo: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar

TIRUPATI: Lord Govindaraja, considered the ruler of Tirupati and the elder brother of Tirumala-based Venkateswara, enjoyed his day out on Wednesday in the Ponnakalva stream on the banks of the Swarnamukhi as part of summer sojourn arranged by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

It was after a gap of 32 years that `Ponnakalva Utsavam', a ritual discontinued for unknown reasons, was revived on Wednesday as part of a drive perpetuate ancient customs and rituals.

Auspicious occasion

On `Chitra Pournami' an auspicious full moon day, deities are taken to a `summer resort' say a nearby water spot, and given a celestial bath.

At dawn, Lord Govindaraja, His consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, commander-in-chief Vishwaksena and Krishna and Andal were taken out in a grand procession to Ponnakalva mandapam, 4 km away.

A celestial bath (Snapana Tirumanjanam) was given and a procession to Tiruchanur and back was taken.

The dilapidated mandapam, situated on the streambed, was recently renovated and `khas khas' mats were tied around to provide a cool atmosphere.

The deities were given a the celestial bath with milk, curd, honey, tender coconut water and turmeric water. The deities were later taken to the nearby `Parveta Mandapam' and rocked in a swing.

Residents of Ponnakalva, Oteru, Tanapalle and Kuntrapakam villages who thronged the venue and contributed milk and curds in large quantities for the abishekam, became dumb-struck.

Chengaiah, a septuagenarian of Oteru, was seeing the event which he had almost forgotten!

"Our `devudu' used to come to our village every year and spend the whole day in our midst.

I was not at all expecting to see it again, but my grandchildren are fortunate enough to witness it again," he exclaimed.

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