Tirupati:The 1051st Avatarotsavam of Tirumala Nambi, a prominent Vaishnava acharya, was celebrated with great fervour at the Sri Tirumala Nambi temple in Dakshina Mada Veedhi, Tirumala, on Monday.
Pontiff of Ahobilam Mutt Srinivasa Shatagopa Ranganatha Yateendra Mahadesikan Swami graced the occasion and highlighted Tirumala Nambi's dedication to serving Lord Venkateswara. In his address, Swami said, "Tirumala Nambi devoted his entire life to the service of the Lord, considering it his ultimate goal”.
The Swami recounted how Tirumala Nambi, on the instructions of his grandfather Yamunacharya, came to Tirumala and performed the daily ritual of bringing water from Papavinasanam Theertham to bathe the deity. He also mentioned a legend where the Lord, taking pity on an aging Nambi, instructed him to use the Akasha Ganga Theertham he had created on Anjanadri for the abhishekam.
Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary, additional executive officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), speaking at the event, referred to Tirumala Nambi as the "first citizen of Tirumala" to perform Theertha Kainkaryam (water service) to Lord Venkateswara. He noted that Nambi arrived in Tirumala in 973 AD to serve the deity and performed various services including flower offerings, mantra recitations and Vedic chanting.
The celebration also featured discourses on the philosophy of Sharanagati by 16 eminent scholars from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The TTD traditionally organises annual celebrations in sub-temples named after devoted bhaktas like Tirumala Nambi, to commemorate their birth anniversaries and spread awareness about their contributions to the glory of Lord Venkateswara.
