‘Ponna Kaluva Utsavam’ celebrated

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) performed the ‘Ponna Kaluva Utsavam’ in Tirupati on Friday, which marked a summer retreat for Lord Govindaraja and His consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi from the scorching sun. The annual festival is observed on ‘Chitra Pournami, which fell on Friday this year. During the ritual, the deities were taken in a grand procession up to the Ponna Kaluva, located 5 km from the temple, braving the hot sun, as is the ancient practice. The deities were placed in the Mandapam filled with water and a celestial bath was given by the priests to the idols with a variety of aromatic products. Vettiver mats were hung on all the three sides of the Mandapam to provide respite from the heat. A number of devotees from Tiruchanur locality took part in the event.