Vasanthotsavam The Festival of Lord Venkateswara
Vasanthotsavam The Festival of Lord Venkateswara:
Vasanthotsavam is celebrated in the temple of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. The temple is one of the wealthiest temples in the world. This festival celebrates to welcome the spring season. Generally, spring occurs in the time of February to March. Vasanthotsavam is the combination of ‘Vasantha’ and utsavam’. These two words are in the Sanskrit language. The word Vasantha means spring season, and Utsavam means celebration. So Vasanthotsavam implies the celebration of the spring season. Vasanthotsavam celebrates three days in the Telugu month of Chaitra on Tryodasi, Chaturdasi and Pournami. According to the Gregorian calendar, the festival occurs at the end of March or mid-April.
History of Celebrating Vasanthotsavam:
According to the records of Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam, the Vasanthotsavam has been celebrating since the Achyutaraya period. During his reign, Periya Solai, the son of the chief accountant in Sri Venkateswara Temple, contributed 3000 tarpan am as the fund to celebrate Vasanthotsavam in Tirumala Sri Venkateswara temple.
Celebrations of Vasanthotsavam:
On the festival day, devotees decorate the temple with flowers and draw the Rangoli with various colours before the temple. The priests saw the nine kinds of seeds and started ankurarpanam to begin the festival. This ceremony was conducted on the day of the Uttarabhadra star appearing in the sky. One day before the festival, the temple priests perform the Punya Vachanam, which means purificatory rites, Vaasthu Santhi and Samprokshanam rituals.
On the festival day, the priests, the chief temple administrators and devotees participated in the celebrations. The priests performed the Thirumanjanam to the Utsava Murthy and his consorts on these celebrating days. For these rituals, there is a separate
Vasanthotsavam hall, which is outside of the temple. On the last and third day, the priests performed abhisheka mm to the idols of Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, along with Lord Krishna and his consort Rukmini. This abhisheka mm celebrates in the evening of the third day.