The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), sole custodian of the temple of Lord Ventakeswara, commemorated the annual Pushpayagam (floral ritual) at Kodandarama Swamy shrine here, using three tonnes of various aromatic blossoms and leaves.
The floral ritual was dedicated to the deities of Sri Sita Lakshmana and Sri Rama Chandra Murthy.
“The Pushpayagam, floral ritual was performed between 4 pm and 6 pm…Later the deities were taken along four mada streets in a celestial procession,” said TTD in a statement.
Meanwhile, Rani Sadasiva Murthy, vice chancellor of Sri Venkateswara Vedic University said that 550 students will graduate at the seventh convocation of the varsity on Friday, in courses ranging from certificate to doctoral. Murthy said the titles of Maha Mahopadhyaya and Vachaspati will be conferred on two eminent scholars during the convocation, which will be presided over by Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer.
V. Subramanya Shastri, Ghanapati from Hyderabad and Ramachandra Mani Dravida Shastri from Chennai will be presented with the Maha Mahopadhyaya titles while Kapilavai Ram Somayaji Shastri from Annavaram and C. Vamsi Krishna Ghanapati of Mysore will receive Vachaspati titles.
Further, the vice chancellor noted that the National Education Policy (NEP) will be implemented in the Vedic university from the academic year 2023-24, including introducing MA courses in grammar and law translation from Sanskrit to English, and diploma courses in Yoga, occult, navagraha shila gardens, yajna oushadi gardens and others.
Similarly, a course to study and translate palm leaf manuscripts will be introduced as the TTD is already engaged in digitizing such archives available with it for posterity. According to Murthy, the Vedic university, established in 2006 has made stellar progress in protecting and propagating Vedas.
