Lord Balaji gets 45 varieties of ‘naivedyam’

Tirupati: Every day at Tirumala, the temple kitchen follows a ritualised rhythm of its own while making oblations to the Lord. Rice preparations, sweets, and savoury offerings are prepared according to prescribed traditions and offered to Lord Venkateswara at different times of the day. The famous ‘Tirumala laddu’ is of course the prasadam most closely associated with the Lord; yet, it is only one part of the temple’s elaborate naivedyam tradition, with 45 varieties offered every day. Srivari annual Brahmotsavam will kick off from September 15.

Lord Venkateswara is revered as ‘Naivedya priya’ (the Lord who is fond of food offerings). The naivedyam at the hill shrine is prepared and offered according to the age-old Vaikhanasa Agama traditions.Continued on Page 7

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Pradeep Vennelakanti

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