Highlights of Brahmotsavams 2017

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Kalpavriksha Vahanam - Grand Festival in Tirumala

Brahmotsavams

Once a year, the Brahmotsavams are celebrated to Lord Venkateswara. In the procession, the Lord takes a majestically reclined posture on the various ‘vahanams’ (this page is dedicated to Chinna Sesha Vahanam) offered by the deities. ‘Padakavita Pitamaha’ Annamacharya eulogizes Lord Venkateswara as ‘Tiruveedullo merese Devadevudu,’ and ‘Naanaadikkula Narulella vaanalalone vatturu.’ Lord Brahma initiates the ‘utsavams’ following the command of Lord Venkateswara.

So these ‘utsavs’ are called ‘Salakatla (Annual) Brahmotsavams.’ These ‘utsavams’ will be celebrated for ten days.

Ashtadikpalakas and their role in Brahmotsavams - Heading

Srivari Temple

  • 6,21,705 No of pilgrims had darshan of Lord Venkateswara
  • 5 lakh laddus in daily buffer stock
  • 26,55,080 Nos.laddus sold
  • Hundi collections stood at Rs.18,70,29,000
  • Foresight, and advanced preparedness for crowds, rooms, and laddus with IT initiatives paid off good dividends.
  • The crucial event of Brahmotsavam Garuda Vahanam passed through smoothly.
  • Reduction of Rs.300 Special darshan tickets and Divya darshan tokens helped.
  • VIP break darshan slashed to just protocol list
  • Separate In and out gateways at Vendi Vakili eased devotee movement.
  • 8.36 crore special haram for Sahasranama Kasula Haram

Transport

  • Elaborate arrangements for 7000 four-wheeler parking at Tirumala.
  • Additional parking for 2500 vehicles is kept as a contingency at Devlok near Alipiri.
  • RTC buses did 4200 trips per day
  • A major feat of evacuating two lakh people in hours with 550 buses kept ready on Garuda Seva day.
  • Eight auto clinics geared for traffic movements on ghat roads.
  • 0% accident and breakdown recorded
  • 12 free buses operated in Tirumala on a 24×7 basis; About 300 trips ferrying almost 80,000 persons daily.

Rathotsavam - Annual Brahmotsavam

Tonsuring

  • A 24-hour tonsuring facility at all Kalyana kattas
  • 3,06,271 devotees offered their hair in eight days of Brahmotsavams.
  • 1400 barbers including 250 women barbers served on a shift basis.

Maha Exhibition

  • Photo exhibition with Past and Present pictures of Tirumala by the PR department.
  • Saikat Art(sand art) and antique Coin exhibition
  • Display of paintings and drawings by students of SV Deaf and Dumb students
  • The garden department put up mythological episodes with green plants, flowers, and fruits in a tasteful manner
  • Display by Museum, Ayurveda, Forests, etc. was a major hit.

Reception

  • The record number of 4000 rooms per day is kept available for occupation on a first come first serve basis.
  • IT initiatives of allotment and vacancy display board paid off.
  • The room occupancy ratio was recorded at 94%

SVBC

  • Deployed 3 more Jimmy Jibs,13 HD cameras, and special guns to enhance the live coverage of the Garuda Vahanam.
  • Giving quality feed to all regional and national channels.
  • Introduced commentaries in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil in the Vahana sevas
  • Giving updates in a capsule on social media- Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Vigilance

  • Tech-driven surveillance with gadgets- body cameras, CC cameras (640).
  • FINS app to identify troublemakers.
  • 2 lakh Child tags to keep track of children during rush hours.
  • Command Control Centre with HD camera surveillance.
  • Bandobust with 2000 vigilance staff,1000  Scouts and Guides, 5400 policemen
  • Close coordination was maintained with the Police Department and all the Security arrangements for all Vahana Sevas, Rathotsavams, and Chakrasnanam were completed successfully, without any untoward incident.

Srivari Sevakulu

  • 4000 Srivari Sevakulu for Brahmotsavams duty
  • Special duties at Srivari Temple, Anna Prasadam, Health, Parakamani and Laddu counters.
  • Srivari Sevakulu rendered services in over 60 locations belonging to 12 wings.

Sales Wing of Publications

  • The Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Sri N Chandrababu Naidu unveiled TTD Calendar and Diary for the year 2018
  • 20 lakhs 12-sheet calendar, 12 lakh diaries including (9lakh big and 3lakh small), 17 lakhs In-house calendar including Srivari (big), Ammavari(big), Srivari – Ammavari(small), Panchangam calendars.
  • These calendars and diaries are now available for sale in Tirumala and Tirupati
  • Twenty-two (22) publications penned by renowned scholars were released during the annual Brahmotsavams

Cultural activities

  • 1500 artists perform cultural activities at Tirumala, Tirupati, and Four Mada streets.
  • Organized by artists of HDPP, Dasa Sahitya, Annamacharya Project, SV Music and Dance College.
  • Feast of Bhakti music, Harikathas, Folk arts, Tappeta gullu, Classical dances, Nama Sankeernas, Annamacharya Sankeertans.
  • Special performances in front of Vahanams on Mada streets.
  • Programs at Nada Niranjanam, Asthana Mandapam in Tirumala and Mahati, Annamacharya Kala Mandir and Ramakrishna Pushkarini at Tirupati
  • Special performances by national award-winning artists, Drum beaters from Pune, Garba dancers from Bangalore, and Artists playing episodes from Mythology at Mada streets.

Anna Prasadam

  • Tiffin and meals were served to pilgrims on four Mada Street galleries and the Vaikuntham queue complex from noon to late evening on Garuda Seva day.
  • Meals milk, coffee, tea, and snacks served to devotees on galleries.
  • Annaprasadam complex served devotees till1.30 AM on Garuda seva day.
  • Srivari Sevakulu is also served at all Food counters and the Annaprasadam complex.

Engineering Department

  • Spacious galleries created for the benefit of devotees at Four Mada streets to facilitate 1.80 lakh pilgrims.
  • Signage, Information boards, Flexi, and maps for guidance of pilgrims
  • One crore litres of filtered water for Swami Pushkarini
  • About 252 drinking water taps were arranged in four Mada streets

Water Works

  • Total Water consumption for eight days 289.27 Lakh Gallons
  • RO water plants in different areas for the sake of pilgrims

 Electrical Department

  • More than 44 electrical theme illuminations all around Tirumala
  • 56,000 LED bulbs were used for making all illuminations and 250 persons worked for two months.
  • 60% of illuminations are done with LED bulbs.
  • 30 Nos. of various size LED screens for live Telecast program

Radio and Broadcasting

  • Installed 19 huge LED screens on Mada streets and 11 outside Mada Street in Tirumala which facilitated devotees who could not make it into galleries to watch Vahana sevas, especially on Garuda Seva Day.
  • 24×7 broadcasting of announcements, Bhakti Sankeertan, and Venkateswara mantras.
  • Unique devotee service on missing persons in all south Indian languages and Hindi.

IT Wing

  • Well-organized net connectivity which ensured incident-free services to pilgrims in all departments
  • The launch of the Telugu Version of the TTD website.
  • Three-day, Four-day online Srivari Seva was introduced on Garuda Seva Day on September 27