Tirupati: Gaiety and religious fervour marked the ‘Rathotsavam’ of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala on Thursday, the penultimate day of the nine-day annual Brahmotsavams.
After the conduct of special rituals such as ‘Punyavachanam’ and ‘Navagraha dhyanam,’ the processional deities of Sri Malayappa Swamy flanked by his two divine consorts, Sridevi and Bhudevi on either side, were ceremoniously mounted atop the giant wooden chariot amidst the chanting of Vedic hymns by the temple pundits.
Tens of thousands of devotees from different parts of the country participated in the divine procession all along the Mada Streets.
Later in the evening, Lord Malayappa took a celestial ride on his ‘Aswa Vahanam’ (horse chariot) and enthralled the pilgrims who had descended on the hill town as the festival reaches conclusion.
The ‘Ashwa Vahanam’ procession denotes one of his most popular and well received avatars, Kalki – a Good Samaritan who fights evil and protects the righteous and good things in Kaliyuga.
The horse is described as the only living being to have had the rare and unique opportunity to witness the first meeting of Lord Venkateswara and his consort, Goddess Padmavati, and their romance, which finally culminated in love and wedding. The ‘Aswa Vahanam’ of Lord Venkateswara sends a message to everyone to keep way from Kali-dosha, pray continuously and sing the ‘keertans’ to ward off the impact of wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, on the final day on Friday morning, the stage is set for ‘Chakra Snanam’ between 7.30 am and 10 am, with which the annual ‘Brahmotsavams’ concludes.
