Six-day Vedic ritual begins at Tirumala shrine

: A six-day Vedic ritual "Astabandhana Balalaya Mahasamprokshanam," held once in twelve years, began at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at nearby Tirumala tonight.

As part of the ceremony 28 'homa gundams' (fire altars), each one dedicated to a deity, were built inside the temple complex and the fire was lit in them amid chanting of vedic hymns by about 40 high priests, an official of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which administers the cash-rich shrine, told PTI.

During the ritual, high priests plug minor cracks and holes using a herbal paste harder than concrete mix, amid chanting of hymns, the official said.

On an average, only 30,000 devotees would be allowed into the shrine daily, to be regulated during the few hours when the priests temporarily halt their work, the official added.

In view of the ceremony, issue of all online 'seva' tickets, including for pre-dawn rituals and privileged worships, have been suspended till August 16.