Dhanush Visits Tirupati Temple In Clean Shaven Head: 8 Popular Rituals Performed At Tirupati Balaji Temple

Wednesday, July 5, 2023, 13:08

Recently, Asuran actor Dhanush was spotted with a clean-shaven head at the popular Tirupati Temple, Andhra Pradesh and it has taken the internet by storm. People are wondering if his look is for his upcoming film D50 or if the actor was simply following a traditional ritual of getting his head tonsured as an offering to Lord Venkateshwara.

In India, temples have a rich legacy to perform rituals dedicated to deities, to satisfy them and get their choicest of blessings. Tirupati Balaji temple is also known as Bhuloka Vaikuntam- the abode of Vishnu on earth. There is a belief that during Kali Yuga, Lord Vishnu manifested Himself in this temple and directed his devotees towards salvation.

Today, this temple follows elaborate ritualistic practices in devotion to Gods and Goddesses and therefore, we have listed 8 Tirupati Devasthanam daily rituals along with the timings. Read on to know about them.

1. Suprabhatam - 5:00 am- 5:30 am (Fridays)

This is the predawn seva performed in the temple of Lord Venkateswara and this ritual takes place at Sayana Mandapam inside sanctum sanctorum to wake up the lord from His celestial sleep. Hymns are chanted by Acharyapurushas and it begins with 'Kausalya Supraja Rama Purva Sandhya Pravarthathe' in front of the main deity at Bangaru Vakili. At the same time, in front of the main corridor of the sanctum sanctorum descendant of Tallapaka Annamacharya sings songs written by the great saint poet to praise Lord Venkateshwara.

2. Sahasranamarchana - 5:30 am- 4:00 am (Fridays)

The recital of 1008 names of the Lord and seeking His divine blessings for the prosperity of the entire mankind is known as Archana or Sahasranamarchana. This is aritha seva and it is an essential ritual to receive the blessings of the Lord which is invoked in the gotras and names of the grihastha pilgrims. The devotees take part in this ritual by paying the requisite amount. It is unique to Tirumala shrine only as mentioned in an inscription which dates back to 1518 AD.

3. Padmavathi Parinayam (Kalyanotsavam) - 10:30 am

This is more like a three-day annual festival which usually happens n the month of May in the evening under the moonlight. On this day, Parinayotsavam Mandapam in the Narayanagiri gardens is decked up for the celestial wedding of Lord Srinivasa and Goddess Padmavathi, which takes place as per Hindu traditions. The colourful ceremony takes place on Navami, Dasami and Ekadasi in the month of Vaisakha. After the celebrations, the celestial couple returns to the main temple.

4. Unjala Seva - 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm / 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm (Fridays)

This is performed on the first Thursday of Malayalam month in the evening at 6 pm and it means sitting of Deities in Unjal (Cradle) and is swung by the servitors. The Utsava idols are taken in the Palaquine and placed on the golden Unjal. Religious events like music and dance dedicated to the Lord by children are performed in front of the deities and also devotees recite Gopika Geetham. Bhoondhi and lime water, and fruits are given as prasad on this day.

5. Kumkumarchana- 10:00 am to 11:00 am, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

This is a seva that is performed in the inner sanctum of the temple. Devotees are allowed to see this in batches. Once the seva is completed, they are moved to another queue to have Harathi and Darshan. This is considered very auspicious for the newly married couples who want to have a blissful marital life and also want to be blessed with a child.

6. Ekantha Seva- 9:00 pm

This is the last ritual amid the daily sevas performed at the temple. This is practised after Sarvadarsanam. The silver idol/image of the main deity Sri Bhoga Srinivasa Murthi is placed in the Sayana Mantapam in a golden cot in this ritual. Then a descendant of Saint Poet Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya sings lullabies to put the Lord to celestial sleep which he occupies for eleven months in a year and in the twelfth month of Dhanurmasa (Margali). This seva is also known as Panupu Seva. Further, Tarigonda vengamamba's harati (in a plate inlaid with one of the dasavataras on each day with pearls) is offered to the Lord.

7. Sarvadarsanam - 7:00 am to 6:00 pm / 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Sarvadarsanam means 'darshan for all'. This is a free darshan for the devotees where they wait for their turn to catch a glimpse of their favourite deity in the compartments of Vaikuntham queue complex II. However, the timings are different for the different days of the week. For darshan devotees come through the Vaikuntam Queue Complex which is a series of inter-connected halls that leads to the main temple. Then, devotees move in an orderly manner to reach the main temple. The visiting hours are normally 18 hours or normal days and on special days it is open for 20 hours.

8. Veda Ashirvachanam- 7:00 am to 6:00 pm / 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Veda Ashirvachanam or Veda Parayanam or Vedic Chant is a procedure of chanting or recitation of Vedic mantras and shlokas that are mentioned in four Vedas- Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Arharva Veda. Devotees gather in huge numbers to listen to the recitation, which is known as the powerhouse of wisdom. People can also listen to this by using the temple's e-services.

Disclaimer: The information is based on assumptions and information available on the internet and the accuracy or reliability is not guaranteed. Boldsky does not confirm any inputs or information related to the article and our only purpose is to deliver information. Boldsky does not believe in or endorse any superstitions.