The Koil Alwar Thirumanjanam was performed in the shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala on Tuesday.
The Thirumanjanam was performed as a prelude to the Ugadi Festival, Telugu New Year’s Day on April 13th. All Utsava idols were temporarily removed from the Sanctum Sanctorum, and the main idol was given a waterproof cover before the priests performed the purification rituals. A herbal blend of refined camphor, sandalwood powder, vermilion, turmeric and other ingredients that act as disinfectants was applied to all walls and pillars in the Sanctum Sanctorum as well as other sub-temples in the temple complex.
Staff led by KS Jawahar Reddy, Executive Officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), participated in the rituals, which lasted about four hours. The darshan lines, which were briefly interrupted in the morning, resumed around noon after the rituals were completed.
Celebrities among others who took part in the rituals were MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, Member Trustee Vemireddy Prashanti, additional managing director AV Dharma Reddy and CVSO Gopinath Jatti.