|
|
|
|
|
Brahmotsavam
The annual Brahmotsavams celebrated on the sacred hills with great pomp and gaiety attracts millions of devout pilgrims from all parts of the country.
According to the Varaha and Brahmanda Puranas, Lord Brahma instituted this nine-day festival in honour of Lord Venkateswara. Sri Venkateswara Sahasranama indicates that the Lord is much pleased by the utsavams celebrated for Him by Brahma. That Brahma was regular and punctious in conducting the Brahmotsavam for the Lord of seven hills is reflected in one of the Ashtothara namavali expressions which reads as 'Brahma Kliptotsavaya Sri Venkatesaya namah.'
Sri Venkatachala Itihasa Mala, a thirteenth century work dealing with the various aspects of Sri Ramanuja's association with Tiruvengadam, describes in detail the conduct of the Brahmotsavam festival of Sri Venkatesa and how he enjoined Anantarya, his devout disciple to meticulously observe the ritualistic aspect of worship and performance of festivals to the Lord.
There is ample evidence both historical and in scriptures that the Brahmotsavam was conducted uninterruptedly for over 1000 years.
The Brahmotsavams conducted for nine days starts with Ankurarpanam every day. The festival deities are taken out in the morning and the evening on various richly decorated Vahanas amidst chanting of Vedic mantras and devotional music.
This spectacular festival reaches its climax with Garuda seva on the fifth day. It is on this day at night the Lord, seated on His favourite vehicle Garuda and decked with the rarest of the temple jewels, emerges out of the Vahana mandapam. Millions of devotees from across the country descent on the hills to witness the procession on this day.
Another highlight of the Brahmotsavam is the Rathotsavam on the eighth day. In the morning, Sri Malayappa Swami and His consorts mount the ratham (chariot) which is pulled along the four main streets of Tirumala by the devout pilgrims who throng in thousands for this occasion.
The festival draws to a close with the ceremonial bathing of the Sudarsana, in the holy tank Swami Pushkarini, called Chakrasnanam. Though everyday is sacred at the temple of Lord Venkateswara, the Brahmotsavam is doubly important and worth attending. The Puranas list out innumerable benefits for those who worship Lord Venkateswara on this occasion.
Brahmotsavam of Lord Venkateswara is the most glittering festival in the temple of Lord Venkateswara, the Lord of seven hills. The epithet Brahma itself signifies its grandeur and, rightly so, it draws multitudes of pilgrims from all over the country, transforming in the process the picturesque hill into a Kaliyuga Vaikuntha -a heaven on the earth.
According to legends, when Goddess Lakshmi left Srivaikuntham in a huff unable to bear the insult of sage bhrigu kicking Lord Vishnu, her spouse, on his chest, which she considered her abode. The Lord unable bear the solitude, began searching for her. He wandered across hills and woods until he came across the beautiful Seshachala hills, now called the Tirumala hills. Finding the place salubrious and serene, he settled down in an anthill and has been worshiped there, ever since as Lord Venkateswara.
Lord Brahma , the supreme creator, commemorated the Lord Venkateswara's manifestation on earth with a grand celebration lasting 9 days and hence the name BRAHMOTSAVAM.
According to Varaha puranam ,the Brahmotsavam is performed in the month of Asweeja(Salivahana Calendar),when sun is in kanya rasi. It is September-October as per English calendar.
Preparatory to the festival, the interiors of the sanctum sanctorum and the small shrines around are cleaned and smeared with a rich paste made of sandalwood refined camphor, saffron and other spices. This ritual is known as Koil Alwar Thirumanjanam. It is followed by another ritual viz. Mritsangrahanam - the process of collecting earth- and this is done a day before the first day of the festival.The ritual signifies a prayer by the temple officials to the deities like Garuda, Sudarshana, Anantham and Vishavaksena to seek their help for the successful conduct of the Brahmotsavam. They also pray to the Bhooma Devi(mother earth) and collect a small quantity of the earth with which the Ankurarpanam ritual conducted by sowing nine kinds of cereals in it. Then Dhwajarohanam is performed signaling the start of the grand fete. The high priest of the temple hoists the flag carrying the picture of Garuda atop the Dhwajasthambham erected opposite the sanctum sanctorum.
Every day during the Festival both in the mornings and the evening the processional deity of Lord Venkateswara called Malayyapan Swamy, is taken in a colorful procession through the decorated four streets around the temple. The lords is flanked by his two consorts ,Sri Devi and Bhu Devi. Ugra Srinivasa and Koluvu Srinivasa (Durbar Srinivasa) are the two other images in the santum.All through the nine days the hill wears a colorful look with a sea of humanity thronging the place. The hill especially looks colorful during the night when giant profiles of the lord, made out of tiny electric bulbs light up. The Lord is taken in a procession on various vahanas and each vahana has its own significance and conveys his message in its own way.
The garuda seva performed on the night of the 5th day is the most popular amongst his devotees for on that day the lord is adorned with his most choicest and precious of his ornaments .Another equally important festival during the 9-day celebration is the Theru when the deities would be seated in a exquisitely carved huge wooden chariot and pulled round the temple by ardent devotees. Snapnam tirumanajanm , the process of bathing thee Lord with herbal water after the procession ,is performed to relieve him of the strains suffered during the processions .
The penultimate festival is the Chakrasnanam, which is akin to the bathing ritual after the performance of a yagna. On that morning the lord and his consorts and Sri Sudarshana Chakram are given a holy bath in the temple tank after an hour long ritual on the banks of the Pushkarini, the Temple tank. Scores of pilgrims waiting on the banks of the tank would also take a dip simultaneously along with the deities, creating a huge splash. This holy dip is supposed to free a mortal from the cycle of rebirth.
On the 9th day of the Brahmotsavam,chooranabhishekamis performed giving the deities a holy bath after anointing them with sandalwood powder .The Lord is then taken around in a procession when the priests distribute the sandalwood powder used for the ritual to the devotees en route. On this last day of Brahmotsavam, Devatodwasanam, the ritual of giving a warm send off to all Gods and rishis on their way back to heaven, is performed. In this ritual Lord Brahma is propitiated for having come to earth all the way from Brahmaloka and having performed the Brahmotsavam.
The celestial celebration is one of the important festivals of the temple. Pilgrims from all over the world, throng the place during this to have a glimpse of the lord during the procession. The sight of the Lord himself coming out of the Temple to be amongst his devotees is awe-inspiring.The festival unambiguously demonstrates that service to the Lord is the exclusive right of every individual and that His benign grace makes our lives more purposeful and joyful.
Elaborate arrangements are being made by the Devasthanams for the smooth conduct of the Brahmotsavams. TTD has also arranged various cultural programmes, including spiritual discourses and music concerts. Temporary shelters have been put up to accommodate more pilgrims.
Facilities are also being provided to telecast various processions and functions during the Brahmotsavam.
More than 25,000 pilgrims will be provided free meals, in addition to the distribution of food packets to 10,000 devotees in the queue complex on all the days of the festival.
The Brahmotsavam of Lord Venkateswara is undoubtedly celebrated for its oriental pomp and pageantry.
Worshipping the Lord on this occasion is devotional service, par excellence.
bravenet.com