Annual Brahmotsavas – Adhika Masa
Today, the annual Brahmotsavas in Tirumala is celebrated for nine days during the month of Kanya. But, whenever there is an extra month as per the Chandramana, two Brahmotsavas are celebrated.
It is an established tradition to hold the festival, having fixed the Avabritha on the day with Sravana nakshatra [the star in which Sri Venkateswara was incarnated]. Kanyamasa is related to Souramana.
As per the Candramana (lunar almanac), Kanyamasa Sravana occurs generally in the month of Aswayuja. The Souramana (solar almanac) has a year with 365 days, with no extra months. A year in the lunar calendar has 354 days, allowing for extra months. As it has eleven days less, now and then there can be a month without Suryasankranthi (the transit of the Sun from one house to another in the Zodiac) in the Chandramana. Such is the extra month [a Chandramasa without Suryasankramana].
In general, such an extra month occurs once in three years. In a year with the extra month (adhika masam), Kanya Sravana falls in the month of Aswayuja of the Chandramana. In such instances, the Brahmotsavas are celebrated from Aswayajuja Vidiya up to Vijayadasami. In a year with the extra month, Kanya Sravana falls in the month of Bhadrapada as per the Chandramana.
In such instances, the annual Brahmotsavas celebrated in the month of Bhadrapada are the prominent ones. During such a year, the Brahmotsavas are celebrated a second time even in Aswayuja. Such second Brahmotsavas are called Navarathri Brahmotsavas. Between these two annual Brahmotsavas, the ones in the month of Kanya Bhadrapada are more important. Hence these Brahmotsavas start with Dhwajarohana and end up with Dhwajavarohana.
Lords of the Eight Directions
The Lords of the Eight Directions and other gods are not invited to the festival. The car festivals are celebrated as in the first Brahmotsavas.
In the Navaratri Brahmotsavas, there is neither Dhwajarohana nor Dhwajavarohana. The Lords of the Eight Directions are not invited to these festivities. The car festivals are celebrated in order as in the first Brahmotsavas. In the first Brahmotsavas, a wooden chariot is used in the car festival, and the second, a silver chariot.
Today, a golden chariot is being used in the place of the silver one. Where is the silver chariot, now? We don’t know. Probably, it is safe in the Tirumala museum. In the first annual Brahmotsava, after the car festival at night, an assembly is held every day for the festive idols in the golden Tirucchi [golden palanquin] in the Tirumalaraya Mandapa (Tirumalaraya pavilion).
In the second Navarathri Brahmotsavas, after the car festival every day at night an assembly of the festive idols in golden Seshavahana is held in the Rangamandapa [Ranganayakulu Mandapa].
Religious and Spiritual Significance of Adhika Maasam
- There are no festivals observed during this lunar month. All festivals, muhurtas for auspicious ceremonies like marriage, housewarming, initiation of mantras, etc will be postponed to Nija Maasam.
- Rather this month is treated as a special and holy month and people perform the adhik mass vrat. Extra mala japas, pradakshinas, pilgrimages, scriptural reading, and parayans.
- Few even practice strict celibacy and avoid alcohol, meat, tobacco, etc during this month.
- This is the best month to do any Puja or Havan. Also, if a person wants to chant any specific mantra, he/she should get initiated by a guru in the earlier month itself and continue the practice.
- Any graha dosh or specific dosh nivaran puja and remedies performed in Adhika Maasam to rectify the horoscope give a better result to the individual.
Lord Sri Venkateswara is the supreme God. Devotees across the world throng the holy shrine in Tirumala throughout the year to offer their vows on fulfillment of their wishes. A glimpse of God even for a few seconds will make them forget their travails of the journey.
They would like to personally participate in each ritual performed to the Lord every day despite the constraints of time, space, and availability. To obviate the problems faced by the large section of devotees, the TTD is telecasting all programs live on SVBC.
