Sydney Telugus play host to favourite Lord

Over 500 devotees packed Homebush Boys High for a glimpse of Lord Venkateshwara.

Sydney’s Telugu community recently hosted the popular SVT event Darshan in the Suburbs. Over 500 devotees packed Homebush Boys High, braving the wintry chill and heavy downpour for a glimpse of Lord Venkateshwara. The event was in aid of the upcoming Brahmotsavam festival to be celebrated in October this year.

In his welcome address, Ramabhadra Rao stated that the Telugu Association was proud to be associated with the SVT Brahmotsavam and silver jubilee celebrations.

“How many of us, being thousands of miles away from the homeland, have the opportunity to participate or witness Brahmotsavam at the Kaliyuga Vaikuntham in Tirupati and Tirumala? For all of us who call Sydney home, Helensburgh is our Tirumala and witnessing the divine spectacle is a rare privilege”, he declared.

SVT has left many memorable and blissful experiences for all of us and also to hundreds and thousands of devotees visiting Sydney, he said.

Lauding the efforts of SVT in bringing Perumal to the people, he added that “we always complain Helensburgh is too far to go for Lord’s darshan. Look, the Lord himself has come down to Homebush to shower his ‘nir hetuka’ Kripa on us.”

As is custom, the utsavamoorthy was welcomed with the purna kumbham and chanting. A handcrafted oonjal was specially created for the evening’s pooja. Devotees had also painstakingly prepared alankaram and garlands for the moorthy.

Lakshmi Rayaprolu and Madhu Byreddy conducted the evening’s program. Vedic chanting, Carnatic renditions of Annamayya krithis, Bharatanatyam recitals and dance dramas were the highlight of the evening.

Srinivas Byreddy inaugurated the performance with shloka chanting.

This was followed by devotional renditions by Sivakamini and Sai Pavani Divakarla, Lakshmi Narendra and Dr Giridhar Tirumalai. The Sydney Annamayya group also recited some of his favourite compositions.

Dance performances Adivo Alladivo and Veedhula Veedhula both by local children, was well received by the audience. Shobhana Kambhammettu performed a solo Muddugare Yashoda.

There was sumptuous mahaprasadam for all. Rao appealed to the community to actively volunteer and contribute generously to the Brahmotsavam celebrations.

The Telugu Association has committed to host all events on 10 October 2010. Over 4000 people are expected to take part in the festivities at Helensburgh.