Thousands witness grand anointment

February 5, 2012

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Venur, February 5: Thousands of devotees from across the nation witnessed the religious rituals on the eighth day of Mahamastakabhisheka here on Saturday.

While the monolith statue of Bhagavan Sri Bahubali was anointed, chanting of mantras reverberated the air. Rituals began with 504 kalasha jalabhisheka by family members of Srikshetra Dharmastala Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade and later by others. Standing atop the attalige, devotees poured holy water on the statue, while purohiths chanted mantras. Narikela abhisheka followed the jalabhisheka rituals, where water collected from 400 tender coconuts was poured.

The statue was anointed with 350 litres of sugarcane juice as part of Ikshurasabhisheka. Devotees poured 800 litres of milk to offer Ksheerabhishekha. In Kalka Choornabhisheka ritual, the statue was anointed with 40 kg of rice powder. A total of 80 kg of turmeric powder was used for arishina abhisheka.

After Chatushkona Kalashabhisheka, the statue was bathed in Kashaya Abhisheka. Later, Gandhabhisheka, Chandanabhisheka and Ashtagan dhabhisheka were offered, where the statue was anointed with 80 kg of sandal paste, of three different varieties each.

Pushpavrishti, ritual of showering flowers, was held with a huge garland to the statue. Gold and silver coins were showered to the statue to mark the Ratnavrishti. Shanti mantra poorvaka poorna kumbhabhisheka was offered to conclude the rituals of the day.

In the morning, Sri Parshwanatha Muni Maharaja was brought to the Ahaaradhana of Venur Mane in a procession. Kankana kattuvudu, gandha yanthraradhane, manthranyasa, thilakanyasa, kevalajnana kalyana, prathishta mahotsva, mukhavasthra udghatane and Sribali Mahamangalarathi rituals were offered to the Lord.

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News Network
February 4,2026

shettigar.jpg

An Indian resident who won the Dh20 million (approximately Rs 50 crore) jackpot in Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw has told of his joy at sharing his life-changing fortune with a friend.

Shanthanu Shettigar, a shop manager in Muscat, regularly buys tickets for the monthly grand prize draw with one of his closest friends – and the pair won on February 3.

Mr Shettigar, 33, who is from Udyavar in Udupi district of the southern state of Karnataka and has lived in the Omani capital for eight years, said he was left speechless after learning of his success.

“When I first moved to Muscat, many of my colleagues were purchasing Big Ticket, which encouraged me to give it a try,” he said.

“I started buying tickets on my own, and later began sharing tickets with a close friend. The ticket that brought me this win was one we purchased together.”

“Like most people, I receive a lot of spam calls, and I was fully absorbed in my work as well. I knew the live draw was taking place tonight, but I never imagined my name would be announced,” he said.

“When I realised it was real and that I had won, I was honestly speechless. It still hasn’t fully sunk in, but I’m extremely happy.”

Mr Shettigar is not sure how he will spend his share of the money, but encouraged others to take part.

“This win was completely unexpected, so I want to take some time to think things through before deciding what to do next,” he said.

“I would definitely encourage others to participate with Big Ticket, whether with family or friends – you never know when your moment might come.”

The Big Ticket was established in 1992 with an initial first prize of Dh1 million. It is one of the most popular monthly raffles in the UAE.

It has transformed the lives of many people across the Emirates and beyond.

Entry to the Big Ticket Millionaire is Dh500. Tickets can be bought online or at counters at Zayed International Airport and Al Ain Airport.

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