Tirumala Rathotsavam draws thousands of devotees on penultimate day of Brahmotsavams

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Grandeur marks the Rathotsavam of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

The Mada streets of Tirumala reverberated with chants of ‘Govinda, Govinda’ on Tuesday as the grand Rathotsavam of Lord Venkateswara marked the penultimate day of the nine-day Brahmotsavams.

Grandeur marks the Rathotsavam of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

The celestial procession of Lord Malayappa Swamy, accompanied by his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, began around 7 a.m. and continued for more than two hours, drawing thousands of devotees to the four Mada streets to have a glimpse of the deity and witness the chariot festival.

The presiding deity was ceremonially installed on the massive wooden chariot, which was adorned with colourful flags and festoons and topped with a golden umbrella. As the chariot rolled through the streets, devotees lining the route raised chants of ‘Govinda, Govinda’ and offered haratis from their vantage points.

In a significant feature of this year’s Rathotsavam, devotees were also permitted to hold the ropes and pull the giant chariot, turning the procession into a collective expression of devotion.

Negotiating the sharp turns along the Mada streets posed a formidable challenge to the TTD engineering personnel, who worked continuously to guide and manoeuvre the massive chariot safely through the crowded procession route.

The Rathotsavam also carries a profound spiritual message. Drawing from the Kathopanishad, the chariot is traditionally seen as a metaphor for human existence, with the body represented as the chariot, the Self as its master, the intellect as the charioteer, the mind as the reins and the senses as the horses. The imagery underscores the need to exercise control over the senses and distinguish between the Self and the non-Self.

The TTD made elaborate arrangements for the smooth and safe conduct of the procession and to facilitate the movement of devotees along the Mada streets.

The day’s festivities concluded at night with Lord Malayappa Swamy being taken in a procession on the Aswa Vahanam, bringing another day of the Tirumala Brahmotsavams to a devotional close.

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