Priests performing rituals to the idol of ‘Chakrathalwar’ before its immersion in the ‘pushkarini‘ in connection with the Vaikunta Dwadasi celebrations on Wednesday. The hill temple of Lord Venkateswara witnessed a surge of devotional activity on Wednesday as scores of pilgrims took a holy dip in the temple ‘pushkarini’ on the eve of ‘Dwadasi Chakrasnanam’, a significant ritual associated with the Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrations. In the early hours of the day, the idol of Lord Chakrathalwar was taken out in a traditional procession to Sri Bhu Varaha Swamy temple, located on the north-western side of the ‘pushkarini’, where the priests performed the ‘Chakrasnanam’ in accordance with established temple rituals, amid chanting of Vedic hymns. Devotees, who had already congregated at the venue, immediately plunged into the ‘pushkarini’ as the priests ceremonially immersed the idol into the tank waters. The town remained gripped in festive atmosphere and milled with pilgrim activity since the wee hours of the day as the celebrations succeeded the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival the previous day. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) made extensive …