Devotion, grandeur mark Garuda Seva at Tirumala
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
Lord Malayappa Swamy, adorned with precious jewellery, being taken out on the golden Garuda Vahanam during the annual Brahmotsavams at Tirumala on Saturday.
Grandeur and devotion marked the Garuda Seva on Saturday, the fifth day of the ongoing annual Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala, as tens of thousands of devotees gathered to witness the celestial procession.
Tens of thousands of devotees gather in the open space in front of the Lord Venkateswara temple to catch a glimpse of the Garuda Vahana Seva at Tirumala on Saturday.
The processional deity, Lord Malayappa Swamy, mounted on the Garuda Vahanam, was taken around the four Mada streets of the hill shrine in a majestic procession, offering devotees a spectacular darshan. The deity was adorned with rare and precious jewellery, including the Makara Kanti, five-layered Lakshmi Kasula Haram, Sahasra Namavali Haram and a diamond-studded golden crown, besides the Sankhu and Chakram and other traditional ornaments steeped in temple lore.
As the Garuda Vahanam set out, the assembled devotees erupted in religious fervour. The procession commenced 30 minutes ahead of the usual schedule. Devotees offered harati from their vantage points as the vahanam passed through the streets.
The Mada streets were packed, with the crowds spilling into feeder routes. TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu, Executive Officer Muddada Ravichandra and Additional Executive Officer Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary closely monitored the swelling crowds in turns and ensured uninterrupted supplies of food and drinking water to devotees, many of whom had begun assembling in the morning to secure vantage points. Srivari Seva volunteers also rendered tireless service throughout the day.
Despite the impressive gathering, the turnout was comparatively low than in previous years. Officials attributed the reasons to two Brahmotsavams being held in the same calendar year and the absence of holidays. The festival generally coincides with the Dasara holidays.
Meanwhile, stringent crowd-control measures drew resentment from devotees at several places. Movement was restricted on the Mada streets and other routes, while extensive barricading of thoroughfares caused inconvenience. Access routes leading to the Mada streets were also regulated.
The district police, which had faced severe criticism over crowd management following the stampede in Tirupati on the eve of Vaikunta Ekadasi a couple of years ago that claimed more than half a dozen lives, adopted a particularly restrictive approach. Devotees faced curtailed movement, long waits and lengthy walks even before the Garuda Seva commenced.
The restrictions appeared excessive given that the turnout was little lower than anticipated. Authorities however sounded optimistic the crowd to swell in course of the procession.
To enable more devotees to witness the Garuda Seva, the TTD extended the procession until 11.30 p.m.
Earlier in the day, the ivory palanquin procession captivated devotees, with Lord Malayappa Swamy appearing in the Mohini avataram and emerging as the cynosure of all eyes.
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
