Anantha Alwar’s 965th birth anniversary celebrated

Tirumala: The 965th Avatharotsavam (birth anniversary) of Sri Anantha Alwar, the prominent Sri Vaishnava devotee of Lord Venkateswara was celebrated with day long parayanams and discourses at the Purusaivari Thota (Ananta Alwar Gardens) in Tirumala  on Sunday.

About 300 descendants of Anantha Alwar from Kanchipuram, Srivalliputtur, Tiruchanoor, Tiruvellikeni in Tamil Nadu and Melkote in Karnataka participated in the celebrations held amidst religious fervour in the sprawling lush green gardens. 

Sri Pedda Jeeyar and Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamijis of Tirumala conducted the event with their Anugraha Bhashanam. The festival started with the chanting of Alwars Divya Prabandha Parayanam  Tamil poems by a chorus of Vedic pundits from the Divya Alwar Prabandha Project.

Later, 18 exponents presented devotional discourses till the evening on the scholarly works of the Anantha Alwar who had composed over 4000 pasurams in praise of Lord Venkateswara.  Chokka Lingam, editor of Sapthagiri magazine of TTD was also present at the event among others.