Date:19/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/19/stories/2007071955820800.htm

Andhra Pradesh

‘Ani Vara Asthanam’ cebebrated

Staff Reporter

TIRUMALA: As part of the annual ‘Ani Vara Asthanam’ festival, the chief priest of the temple of Lord Venkateswara, presented the balance sheet of the temple administration

to the presiding deity on Wednesday morning. The festival which also has a great religious significance, is performed to symbolically mark the beginning of the new financial year of the temple.

The festival was observed on Tuesday amidst great religious fervour. The temple management organised ‘Pushpa pallaki’ seva. Tens of thousands of devotees witnessed the event. The processional deities of the lord and His two consorts were taken around the mada streets encircling the holy shrine in an exquisitely decorated flower-bedecked palanquin. According to the temple authorities, thousands of kilograms of aromatic flowers went into the making of the floral palanquin.

Hundreds of florists were called from Chennai,Vellore and Bangalore cities.