Festive Fervour Marks Varalakshmi Vratam

Tirupati: A large number of women devotees participated in the Varalakshmi Vratam at the Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple in Tiruchanoor near Tirupati on Friday.

The special ritual was conducted at the Asthana Mandapam, where the processional deity of Goddess Padmavathi was brought and seated on a lotus pedestal. Priests performed various rituals, including Lakshmi Sahasranamarchana and Ashtothara Shatanamavali, as part of the vratam.

The goddess was specially adorned with roses, jasmine, chrysanthemum, sampangi, lotus and tulsi flowers. Nine sacred knots were also used in the decoration and worshipped as representations of different deities. The rituals concluded with the offering of 12 varieties of naivedyam and Maha Mangalarathi.

Women devotees participated in the vratam, seeking the blessings of Goddess Padmavathi for prosperity, good health and the well-being of their families. Temple priests said the observance held special significance at Tiruchanoor, as Goddess Padmavathi is traditionally regarded as an incarnation of Goddess Mahalakshmi.

The temple wore a festive look with extensive floral decorations. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) garden department used nearly three tonnes of traditional flowers and around 30,000 cut flowers of 14 varieties to decorate the temple, Asthana Mandapam and the vratam venue. About 60 personnel worked on the decorations for three days.

The Vrata Mandapam was decorated with flowers and fruits, including dragon fruit, grapes, sweet lime and pineapple. A Gaja Lakshmi arrangement, with elephants on either side, was placed above the mandapam, while Ashta Lakshmi idols, roses and lotus flowers adorned the Asthana Mandapam.

TTD made elaborate arrangements for devotees. LED screens were installed at various locations around the temple, enabling devotees to watch the rituals live. In the evening, Goddess Padmavathi was taken in a golden chariot procession through the temple’s four mada streets. TTD Executive Officer Muddada Ravichandra, Additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary, JEO A. Sarath and other officials were present.