Tirupati: The sacred Kaisika Dwadasi Asthanam was held in the early hours of Wednesday at the Tirumala temple. The rarely-seen idol of Ugra Srinivasa Murty, the Snapana Bera of Lord Venkateswara, was paraded along with Sridevi and Bhudevi in the temple’s Mada Streets from 4.30 am to 5.30 am amidst light drizzles.
Ugra Srinivasa Murty, one of the five primary idols (Pancha Beras) of Lord Venkateswara, symbolises the Lord’s anger and is displayed only before sunrise, owing to a 14th-century fire incident that limited its public display. Historically the temple’s main processional deity, the idol now appears exclusively during the Kaisika Dwadasi festival, an event rooted in the Kaisika Puranam.
This ancient scripture recounts the story of Nambaduvan, a devoted singer who, despite facing death at the hands of the cursed demon Soma-Sharma, stays true to his promise to return after worshipping at the temple. His devotion and honesty inspire Lord Vishnu, who frees Soma-Sharma from his curse and grants Nambaduvan salvation.
Inside the Bangaru Vakili, the Asthanam ceremony took place with Vedic pundits reciting the story of Nambaduvan from the Kaisika Puranam. TTD Additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary, CVSO S. Sridhar, temple Peishkar Rama Krishna, and other temple officials were present.
