Varanasi, February 23, 2013
THOUSANDS OF PILGRIMS WITNESS SRINIVASA KALYANAM IN KASI
Varanasi, Feb 23, 2013 (P.R.O): It has been a colourful feast to many thousands of pairs of eyes who witnessed the grandeur of celestial wedding of Lord Malayappa Swamy (Lord Venkateswara or Lord Balaji) along with His two consorts in the country’s one of the important pilgrim centres, Kasi, where Maha Kumbh Mela is presently underway on Saturday.
The Srinivasa Kalyanam has been performed by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) with spiritual splendour and religious ecstasy in the renowned Saiva Khetra of Kasti in the premises of the world famous Benaras Hindu University. The celestial fete was performed by a team of priests hailing from TTD.
Addressing the ceremonious occasion, TTD EO Sri LV Subramanyam said, “With an aim to propagate the moral values embedded in Hindu Sanatana Dharma and spread the Sri Venkateswara Bhakti cult across the globe, the temple administration of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has been organising Srinivasa Kalyanams-celestial marriage of Lord with His Consorts, at various places in India and abroad from the past seven years with the replica idols of Lord Sri Malayappa Swamy, Sri Devi and Bhu Devi”.
“Today the pilgrims and devotees are blessed to witness a rare opportunity of Shiva-Kesava Abedha in the form of Srinivasa Kalyanam in the famous Shiva Khetram which is taking place for the first time in this most sacred place. Usually Kalyanotsavam is performed as an Arjitha Seva (paid seva) in the hill shrine of Tirumala every day which is restricted to limited number of pilgrims. But now pilgrims can witness the grandeur of the celestial wedding of the deities in your own place. TTD has so far performed this Kalyanams in all the major cities in the country and also in US, Canada and Nepal. Let us bless our lives by taking part in this celestial wedding”, he added.
Meanwhile a team of archakas who perform pujas and Kalyanotsavam in the Srivari temple in Tirumala led by Agama scholar Sri Sunderavadanacharya and OSD Sri Pala Seshadri conducted the celestial marriage with utmost devotion and spiritual elegance with different aspects of puja starting with Vishwaksena Aradhana, followed by Punyahavachanam, Ankurarpana, Kanakana Dharana, Agni Pratistha, Mahajana Sankalpam, Kanyadanam, Mangalya Dharana Mahotsavam ceremony, Nakshatra Harati and concluding with Kumbha Harati.
The artistes of TTD’s Annamacharya Project enthralled the local denizens by rendering Keertans penned by Saint Poet Annamacharaya during the performance of Srinivasa Kalyanams. The various venue of Lord’s Kalyanams echoed with Govinda Namas of devotees who thronged the grounds to see majesty of Lord in the guise of Bride Groom and sanctified their lives.
TTD Joint EO Tirupati Sri P Venkatrami Reddy, CVSO Sri GVG Ashok Kumar, Benaras Hindu University’s Shastra and Dharma Vignan Department Prof. Anjaneya Shastry, Scholar from US Sri Yagna Subramanyam, Pundit from Kasti Sri Tripathi, local officers, denizens, students of Benaras Hindu University, TTD staff also took part in this celestial marriage.
Tirupati, February 20, 2013
