Tirumala Brahmotsavams Begin With Dhwajarohanam
Garuda flag hoisted amid Vedic chants; Pedda Sesha Vahana Seva held
Tirupati: The nine-day Salakatla Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara began at Tirumala on Tuesday with the traditional Dhwajarohanam ceremony.
The proceedings began with Ankurarpanam, the seed-sowing ritual, on Monday. Dhwajarohanam was performed between 6.21 pm and 6.35 pm during Meena Lagnam. Temple priests hoisted the sacred yellow Dhwajapatam bearing the image of Lord Garuda on the Dhwajasthambham amid Vedic chants.
Earlier, the Dhwajapatam was offered special pujas inside the hill temple. The processional and Parivara deities were later taken out in a golden palanquin procession. The four Mada streets witnessed cultural programmes featuring dances, kolatam, bhajans and traditional drum performances.
The hoisting of the Garuda Dhwajapatam is regarded as a symbolic invitation to deities of various worlds to participate in the festival. According to tradition, Garuda, the celestial carrier of Lord Venkateswara, carries the invitation to celestial beings.
The daily Vahana Sevas are the main attraction of the Brahmotsavams. Sri Malayappa Swamy, the processional deity, is taken around the Mada streets on different vahanams twice a day. The first Vahana Seva was held on Tuesday evening on Pedda Sesha Vahanam, with the deity seated on the seven-hooded serpent Adi Sesha.
Tirumala was extensively decorated for the festival. The stretch from GNC Circle to the Srivari temple was illuminated with colourful lights, while cut-outs and dioramas depicting Maha Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Venkateswara on Garuda Vahanam were installed.
The TTD Garden Department decorated Ananda Nilayam and other areas with traditional and exotic flowers. About 60 tonnes of traditional flowers and four lakh cut flowers donated by TTD Board Member Suchitra Ella and another 70,000 flowers, were used for decorations across Tirumala.
