Laksha Gala Sankirthanarchana(100,000 People Choir Singing Praising Lord)

Amazing!!!. Imagine more than 100,000 people singing to praise the Lord for the good. Since I am in US, I am not lucky to participate in this event which happened in my city Hyderabad in India.

Coming to the news, TTD(Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) an organization which takes care of affairs of Lord Venkateswara in temple town Tirumala. As you know this temple is believed to be the richest of all the temples in the world. Almost 100,000 people akes their visit to this place daily to gain blessings of the lord.

There was a telugu poet and lyricist called Annamayya in 15th century who was greatest devotee for Lord Venkateswara. He wrote around 32,000 sankeerthanas(holy songs) on the lord. We are lucky to obtain atleast 13,000 of them from the history. May 9th was his 601st birthday so based on that occassion, TTD has conducted a major programme where 100,000 people sang together some of the songs written by Annamayya for the Lord. This also went into Guinness Book of records breaking the German musical event happened in 1937.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Andhra-singers-set-new-world-record/articleshow/4506982.cms

http://manahotspot.blogspot.com/2009/05/nagarjuna-k-raghavendra-rao-speaking-in.html


ANNAMAYYA(DOWN) WITH LORD VENKATESWARA(TOP)

I am lucky enough to have several co-incidental attachments with Annamayya. Our family is considered as the descendants of him. And the college where I have graduated is just next to his native place(Tallapaka). I have visited his place and temple also several times.

I am here taking a chance to salute this great poet and may all his poetic wonders will become inspiration to all generations. This should also help us to remember our tradition and culture.