Date:02/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/02/stories/2008040250630200.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Koil Alwar Thirumanjanam ritual performed

Staff Reporter

TIRUMALA: ‘Koil Alwar Thirumanjanam’ was observed at the famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara amidst great religious ecstasy on tuesday.

The cleansing festival was performed as a prelude event in connection with the ‘Ugadi’ festival - the Telugu New Year’s Day on April 7.

Cleansing festival

As part of the festival nearly 450 Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) employees under the stewardship of the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam Executive officer K.V.Ramanachary and the chief priest of the temple participated in the cleansing festival.

A herbal mixture of camphor, sandalwood, turmeric and other herbal ingredients were applied to the walls and pillars situated inside the sanctum sanctorum besides at all the other sub temples in the main temple complex. The festival lasted for more than four hours.

The darshan queue lines which were suspended in the morning resumed only in the afternoon.