As the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) allowed the Bhajan troupes to conduct devotional processions in Tirumala and Tirupati, the folk artistes turned ecstatic while taking out a ‘Sobha Yatra’ on Monday.
Thousands of artistes from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu participated in the procession taken out by Janapada Vruthi Kalakarula Sangham and Annamaiah Kalakshetram, which happened as part of ‘Annamayyaku Neerajanam’ programme after a gap of two years.
The first of the four-day event, titled as ‘Alapana’, was colourful with the artistes performing art forms like ‘Dappu’, ‘Kolatam’, ‘Pillangoollu’, ‘Pandari Bhajan’, ‘Kuluku Bhajan’, ‘Bharatanatyam’, ‘Chekka Bhajana’ and so on.
TTD Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy led the devotional procession along with the local legislator B. Karunakar Reddy and film actor Suman, who portrayed the role of Sri Venkateswara in the film ‘Annamayya’. Mr. Dharma Reddy said that the TTD was hand-holding Bhajan troupes in a transparent manner and appealed to the devotees not to encourage middlemen in getting enrolled in the process.