Tirupati: The annual five-day Teppotsavam festival of Lord Venkateswara Swamy commenced amidst great religious fervour and grandeur at the holy town of Tirumala on Wednesday evening.Devotees thronged the sacred water body Srivari Pushkarini in the proximity of the hill shrine to witness the spectacular float festival.TTD governs the Sri Venkateswara Swamy shrine. The Teppotsavam festivities are observed during the auspicious Phalguna month — on the Ekadasi, Dwadasi, Trayodashi, Chaturdashi and Pournami (full moon) days.The shrine traces its history to the 15th Century. Inscriptions from 1468 AD reveal that Sriman Maha Mandaleswara Medini Misraganda Kathari Saluva Narasimha Raju Udayar constructed the Vasantha Mandapam in the midst of Srivari Pushkarini.This mandapam serves as the starting point for the Srivari Teppotsavam celebrations even now.Traditionally celebrated for nine days, the annual Teppotsavam now spans five days, commencing on Ekadasi and concluding on Pournami.While the float festival is referred to as ‘Tiruppalli Odai Tirunal’ in Tamil, it is hailed as ‘Teppa Tirunallu’ by the Telugu community.On the inaugural day of the festivities on Wednesday, the deities of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, and Hanumantha were taken in a grand procession through the four mada streets before reaching the temple tank.The ornately decorated deities were mounted on an illuminated float and dragged around the holy Srivari Pushkarini amid religious chants and devotional fervour. The beautifully adorned flotilla, resplendent with dazzling illuminations, captivated the minds of devotees who watched in awe as it circumambulated the sacred waters.
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