Advani inaugurates 10-day Tirumala Balaji festival in Delhi

New Delhi: Former deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today inaugurated the 10-day 'Sri Venkateswara Vaibhavotsavam' in the national capital.

Organised at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) that manages Lord Balaji temple in Tirumala, the festival will replicate various sacred rituals and special services and poojas performed at the Balaji Temple in Tirumala over the next nine days.

Speaking on the occasion, Advani said that TTD is providing an opportunity to the people of Delhi and around to take part in sacred rituals and special services of Lord Balaji temple at Tirumala which are otherwise not possible for a common man and thanked the organisers.

Advani was accompanied by his wife Kamla and daughter Pratibha. He was earlier welcomed by Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu. Naidu said this is the first time that Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams (TTD) that manages Balaji temple, is replicating such temple rituals and special services in Delhi for the benefit of those who find it difficult to go to temple town in Andhra Pradesh. He urged people to take part in sacred rituals and services at a specially built Balaji Temple here.

All daily rituals and poojas (Nitya Poojas) associated with waking up Lord Venkateswara (Suprabhatam) to putting the Lord to sleep (Ekanta Seva) will be performed daily from 6.45 am to 9.00 pm.