‘Panchami Theertham’, which used to be the grand finale to the nine-day annual Karthika Brahmotsavams at the Tiruchanur Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple, turned out to be a low-key affair on Thursday, owing to the COVID-19 regulations.
The prolonged ritual was conducted in a makeshift pond developed exclusively for this purpose, instead of the sprawling ‘Padma Sarovaram’, the tank in which the Goddess is believed to have manifested in a golden lotus. Amid chanting of the mantras, the priests immersed the idol of ‘Sudarsana Chakra’ into the tank in a simple event, much against the ado when one lakh and odd devotees take a dip simultaneously in the temple tank.
The holy event was conducted at the tank at 11.52 am in the auspicious hours when ‘Kumbha Lagnam’ was in vogue.
Glittering ornaments
As part of the tradition, an 112-gram gold medal, a 249-gram platinum ‘Lakshmi’ medal and a platinum chain with ‘Dasavathara’ icons were brought in a procession for decorating the deity. Garlands made of pine apple, blackberry, tulasi and orchid flowers and floral crowns prepared by artistes from Salem and Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu turned out to be an attraction. The TTD’s gardens department decorated the Vahana Mandapam with lotus, apple, green apple, roses, ‘sampangi’ and other cut flowers.
The TTD’s senior and junior pontiffs, Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy, Executive Officer K.S. Jawahar Reddy, Additional EO A.V. Dharma Reddy, Joint EOs P. Basant Kumar and Sada Bhargavi, local MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, board members V. Prashanti Reddy, Sampat Ravi Narayana, Chief Vigilance and Security Officer Gopinath Jatti took part.
TTD Chief gifts ‘haram’
Meanwhile, Mr. Subba Reddy and his spouse Swarnalatha Reddy presented a ‘Lakshmi Kasula Haram’ weighing 55.150 gm worth ₹3 lakh to the presiding deity, a release said.
The couple handed over the offering to the Executive Officer inside Ammavari temple. The necklace was later decorated to the Utsavamurty (processional deity) of Ammavaru during Snapana Tirumanjanam.