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Ponnakalva Utsavam at Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple, Tirupati
Apart from the annual Brahmotsavams, there are two major annual events conducted at this temple, which are unique. The first one is the ‘Ponnakalva Utsavam’ observed on Chitra Pournami day. ‘Chitra Pournami’ falls in the hottest part of the year, when the temperature soars high.
The event is observed across South Indian temples by taking the deities to the nearby water bodies as a form of rejoicing amid the heat wave. As Swarnamukhi, flowing south of Tirupati, is the closest water body, the ancient ritual involves taking a procession to this river.
The deities of Sri Govindaraja Swamy, Sri Andal Ammavaru and Sri Vishwaksena are carried separately in three Tiruchi Vahanams from the temple by dawn to Ponnakalva Mandapam located in Yogimallavaram near Tiruchanur. Before their arrival, the Mandapam is wonderfully decorated with flower garlands.
Ekakaala Abhishekam
Because of the heat wave, ‘Vettiver mats’ are tied on three sides of the Mandapam as a protective guard from the heat wave. Water from Swarnamukhi is filled in a stone tub, and aromatic substances like sandal, turmeric, and fragrance oils are added to it. All three deities get a celestial bath simultaneously with this water, which is called ‘Ekakaala Abhishekam’.
The entire village of Tiruchanur reaches this spot for the grand event. In the olden days, when Tirupati was just a town and Tiruchanur was a small village, the annual procession was prestigiously deemed as a visit by Govindaraja Swamy, the Lord of Tirupati town, to the little village of Tiruchanur. Later, ‘Unjal Seva’ is performed in Ponnakalva Mandapam, where the three deities are placed on a swing and rocked to and fro. It is a pleasing sight to watch the deities getting a grand enjoyment.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) arranges lunch for all the visitors at the spot every year. By evening, the deities are taken via Vasundhara Nagar to Tiruchanur, where the local villagers offer ‘Harathi’ to the deities. Sri Govindaraja Swamy goes in a procession through the Sannidhi street of Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple in Tiruchanur, which is the only occasion in a year that He goes to the village.
In a rare gesture, one of the two doors at the Padmavathi Ammavari temple’s main threshold is kept partially closed till the procession of Govindaraja Swamy moves over the area. This is in tune with the respect shown by women in ancient times, when they did not stay face to face with elderly male persons in the home.
As Govindaraja Swamy is considered the elder brother of Sri Venkateswara, He becomes the brother-in-law of Goddess Padmavathi and hence an elderly person. This is why a single door is kept closed as a symbol of respect shown by Goddess Padmavathi towards her brother-in-law.
