7-day Maha Kumbhabhishekam begins

Tirupati: The seven-day Maha Kumbhabhishekam ceremony has began with religious fervour at Sri Kalahastiswara Swamy temple, 40 km from here, on Thursday, marking the completion of the rebuilding the new Rajagopuram.

Vijayendra Saraswati of Kanchi Kamakoti led the religious ceremony amidst Vedic chanting at 7 am on Thursday. The religious event concludes on February 8.

The priests have performed Vastu Shanti after the rituals. After completion of rituals, Vijayendra Saraswati handed over the 9 gold plated Panchaloha Kalasams to the engineering workers.

The Panchaloha Kalasams were lifted with a crane to a height of 144-feet and installed the Kalasams on the top of Rajagopuram. It may be noted here that the construction of the Rajagopuram was necessitated as 136-feet gopuram had collapsed on May 26, 2010.

n the same year, the then Chief Minister K Rosaiah laid the foundation for the construction of new Rajagopuram by Endowments department. Rajagopuram was built by an emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya in fifteenth century.

The construction of gopuram was completed in December last. Minister Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy, Sri Kalahastiswara Swamy Devasthanam trust board chairman Guravaiah Naidu, EO Bramarambika, SAAP chairman PR Mohan were among those present.

The builders used traditional materials to construct 144-feet Rajagopuram at a cost of Rs 50 crore.