The Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad (HDDP) of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will organise “bhajana mela” at Tirupati-Tirumala from January 23 to 25.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, TTD Joint Executive Officer (JEO) P. Bhaskar said that the “bhajana mela” was being organised for the first time to promote Hindu culture, tradition, and also inculcate the spirituality among the people. The DPP selected 200 groups from Krishna and Guntur districts for the mela. The groups from other districts would be selected for next round of “bhajana mela,” he said.
The TTD planned to conduct “metlotsavam” by these bhajana groups on lines of “metlotsavam” organised by Dasa Sahitya Parishad (DSP) of the TTD. The DSP “bhajana brindams” (groups) sing songs of Purandaradasa and sahitya. But, the DPP bhajana groups can sing songs of Annamacharya and any other keertans of saint-poets.
The underlining objective was to promote bhajan and Hindu dharma, he said.
Skill development
So, far the DSP was organising the “metlotsavam” four times in a year. With the “bhajana brindams” of the DPP, another 4 rounds of “metlotsavam” would be conducted taking the total to eight in a year. The TTD has plans to make it a monthly event in the days to come, he said.
The JEO said that there were more than 5,000 bhajan groups under the DPP. The TTD noted these groups required skill development. Experts would prepare a report on their performances, areas in which the groups required training after the mela.
The groups would give a performance on first day at Tirupati and go to Padmavati temple in a procession while performing bhajans.
A “shobha yatra” would be organised on second day upto Alipiri. The groups would reach Tirumala performing bhajans en route, he explained.
DPP secretary Prayaga Ramakrishna, I. Ramkumar, NSK Kumar of DPP Krishna district unit, youth coordinator Shivaji and others were present at the meeting.