The devoted to the “Chapparal” on their should go to the Temple of Gangamma Thathayagunta | Photo Credit: Kv Poornochandra Kumar
The last nine days tirupati has been echoing with devoted enthusiasm “Gangamma Jatara”.
While religious enthusiasm in TTD temples are marked by singing from the Vedic Scriptures and Tamil singing from “Nalayira wonderAprabandham”, enthusiasm in this folk festival is a visual feast in nature where religious practices are based on folklore.
Gangamma is worshiped locally as a younger sister of Lord Venkateswar and practices over nine days are religiously followed by natives of Tirupati. From wearing different costumes to blurred colors throughout the body, the procedures are monitored with great zeal.
Women follow the main ritual of wearing fire in a pot with thousands of holes, which is carefully carried on the head and taken to the temple. After offering prayers in the sanctuary, the pot is broken to the ground and broken into pieces.
The last day of the festival on Tuesday, the devotion was “Chapparam”, a work of art reminiscent of “Gopuram”. Chapparam is transmitted by devotion from their home to the temple. With the shoulder as support, the structure similar to the tower is tightly tied from the waist and carried. Practice means the end of the period of abstinence observed by devotees.
The devotees also arrived in the temple by putting on the veil of mythological characters such as Venkateswara, Rama, Krishna, Kali, Arusa and more. Later she dressed several youth sari and came to the temple in the typical style of pushpa.
Published – May 13, 2025 20:29
