Devotees throng 10-day Tirumala Balaji festival in Delhi

The ten-day 'Sri Venkateswara Vaibhavotsavams' witnessed a large gathering of devotees today as various sacred rituals and special services performed at the holy hill shrine of Tirumala were replicated at the Lord Balaji festival here.
Organised at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) that manages Lord Balaji temple in Tirumala, the festival which began here yesterday is replicating rituals and services performed at Tirumala. A replica of Lord Balaji has also been created for the festival.
Besides priests chanting holy hymns, musicians drawn from the southern state will be playing traditional instruments to create an atmosphere similar to that of Tirumala.

TTD joint executive officer Pola Bhaskar said over one lakh people are expected to take part in the Sri Venkateswara Vaibhavotsavams, which would continue till November 8.
Bhaskar said all necessary arrangements have been made for the devotees, and about 200 personnel from TTD have been brought to the national capital for the purpose.
"Of them, 30 are 'archakas' (priest). We have ferried ingredients for making Prasadam to provide the same kind of Prasadam that is being offered at Tirumala," he said.

Deepa Venkat of Swarnabharat Trust, one of the organisers, said 2,000 people took part in Sri Venkateswara Vaibhavotsavam yesterday, which was inaugurated by senior BJP leader L K Advani.

Devotees, who are making a beeline to witness temple rituals and special services being organised for the first time in Delhi for the benefit of those who find it difficult to go to temple town in Andhra Pradesh, said that it was a rare opportunity for them to worship the deity.
Ankit Srivatsav, a pharmaceutical research scientist residing in Delhi, said he was witnessing the traditional south Indian rituals for the first time.
All daily rituals and poojas (Nitya Poojas) associated with the waking up of Lord Venkateswara (Suprabhatam) to the deity being put to sleep (Ekanta Seva) will be performed daily from 6.45 am to 9.00 pm.

In addition, one special service to the presiding deity of Tirumala will be performed daily.