Tirupati: Tirumalais preparing for the sacred ritual of Ankurarpanam, the seed-sowing ceremony that marks the formal beginning of nine-day Salakatla Brahmotsavams at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara. Regarded as the ritual prelude to Brahmotsavam, Ankurarpanam symbolises invoking divine energies for the smooth and successful conduct of the mega festival. Their germination over the next nine days is seen as a sign of prosperity and the auspicious completion of the Brahmotsavams. The uniqueness of this ritual lies in its timing – it is always performed during the night at an auspicious hour. The auspicious germination of the seeds during Ankurarpanam is believed to guarantee the grandeur and success of the Brahmotsavams, making this ritual an integral part of the spiritual preparations on the sacred Tirumala hills.