The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has announced a new initiative bringing good news for devotees of Lord Venkateswara. In a move similar to the tradition followed at the Basara Gnana Saraswati Temple, TTD has decided to facilitate Aksharabhyasam (initiation into learning) for children at the Sri Vakulamatha Temple. The program has been launched under the name “Akshara Govindam,” allowing parents to begin their children’s educational journey with the blessings of Vakulamatha, believed to be the mother of Lord Venkateswara.
The initiative was developed by the Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad following a request from Pulivarthi Nani. Under the program, children aged between three and five years will be eligible to perform Aksharabhyasam. Since the main Vakulamatha temple is located atop a small hill, TTD has decided to organize the ceremony at a more accessible location for the convenience of devotees, particularly children and elderly visitors.
For this purpose, officials have selected a vacant space near the Pushkarini on the eastern side of the temple and plan to construct a permanent mandapam there. The new structure will house idols of Lord Venkateswara, Goddess Padmavathi, and Goddess Saraswati, where the ritual will be conducted according to traditional procedures.
After the ceremony, children will receive a special “Akshara Govindam” kit containing seven items such as a writing slate, chalk box, sacred akshatas, kumkum, a picture of Lord Ganesha along with Goddess Saraswati and Lord Venkateswara, sacred wrist threads, and patika bellam prasadam. The program will initially be launched as a pilot project with 300 kits, and TTD will soon decide whether the kits will be distributed free of cost or for a nominal fee, with officials planning to implement the project through the Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad or the SV Vidyadan Trust.