Navaratri brahmotsavam concludes at Lord Balaji shrine; 1 lakh

The nine-day annual "Navaratri brahmotsavam" concluded Thursday at the famous Lord Venkateswara temple at nearby Tirumala with the celestial bath of processional idols of the presiding deity and his divine consorts in the holy tank.

Amid chanting of Vedic hymns, the priests performed the bath to the idols of Lord Venkateswara and his divine consorts Sri Lakshmi and Sri Padmavathi.

Later, the priests dipped the centuries-old idol of Sri Chakrathalwar in the waters of the tank situated close to the hill shrine.

Around one lakh devotees who gathered on the hills since the early hours to witness the event took a dip in the tank, a temple official told PTI.

Taking the holy dip on the occasion of "Chakrasnanam" is believed to be most propitious.

Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra was among those prominent who took part in the ritual, the official said.

A thick security blanket was put in place on the hills with the deployment of more than 5,000 police personnel besides the security and vigilance personnel of the temple for the festival, he added.

This the second brahmotsavam held in the temple since last month after the 'Adhika Masa brahmotsavam", held once in three years owing to an additional month (13th month) in the traditional Hindu Lunar calender.