K M Dayashankar
TIRUMALA, AUGUST 29, 2024: Sky was the limit for the spiritual combined with sportive fervour that marked Utlotsavam also known as Sikyotsavam festival held in Tirumala on Wednesday evening.
The festival is customarily observed on the succeeding day of Sri Krishna Janmashtami every year in Tirumala where local youth take part in large numbers in this fun-filled religious event witnessed by scores of devotees with enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, the event began with the processional deities of Sri Malayappa Swamy and Sri Krishna Swamy taken around in a grand procession on two separate golden ‘Tiruchis’ around the mada streets encircling the holy shrine starting from Pedda Jiyangar Mutt adjacent to Sri Bedi Anjaneyulu Swamy temple.
Hundreds of enthusiastic youth who formed into groups among themselves in their resplendent joy vied with others to capture the prize money tied atop along wooden post smeared with sticky and other oily substances.
It is an interesting event to watch how the youth build a ‘human mountain’ to break the post which is tied at about 25 feet from the ground level. Similar event took place at Karnataka Chowltries also. Pilgrims converged in huge numbers at all the places where the Utlotsavam were performed in Tirumala with enthusiasm.
The TTD cancelled all the afternoon Arjita sevas following the festival. Both the senior and junior pontiffs of Tirumala, TTD EO J Syamala Rao, Additional EO Ch Venkaiah Chowdhary, CVSO Sridhar, DyEO Bhaskar, Peishkar Srihar and others were also present.
