Tirupati, Aug 26 (IANS) The famous Sri Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati will remain closed on September 7 due to a lunar eclipse.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the hill shrine, announced on Tuesday that the temple doors will be closed from 3.30 p.m. on September 7 till 3 a.m. on September 8.

As per the tradition, the TTD closes the temple six hours prior to a lunar eclipse, it said.

The temple body said the doors will be reopened at 3 a.m. on September 8 after performing Shuddi and Punyahavachanam programmes. The darshan for devotees will resume at 6 a.m. on September 8.

Arjita Sevas like Unjal Seva, Arjitha Brahmotsavam, Sahasra Deepapalankara Seva stand cancelled on September 7 on account of the lunar eclipse.

The Annaprasadam distribution in various places in Tirumala, including the main Annaprasadam Complex, PAC2, VQC compartments and all other places, will also be stopped from 3 p.m. onwards on September 7. However, the Annaprasadam wing of TTD will distribute 30,000 Annaprasadam packets of Pulihora among devotees at Rambhageecha, PAC1, CRO, Seva Sadan, and ANC areas.

The Annaprasadam activity will resume from 8.30 a.m. onwards on September 8 for the devotees.

The TTD requested devotees to plan their pilgrimage to Tirumala accordingly to avoid any inconvenience.

Other major temples in both the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will also be shut on account of the lunar eclipse. It’s common for the temples to shut the doors during solar and lunar eclipses. The authorities cancel darshan and all sevas and reopen the temples in the evening after purification.

The Srisailam temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal district will also be closed for devotees. The priests will shut the main doors after performing the puja.

Kanaka Durga temple at Vijayawada and the sun temple at Arasavalli in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh will also remain closed during the lunar eclipse.

In Telangana, the Saraswati temple at Basar and the Sri Raja Rajeswari temple at Vemulawada will also be shut due to the lunar eclipse.

–IANS

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