Lakhs of devotees converged at the temple of Lord Venkateswara to take part in the auspicious ‘Garuda Seva’ organised on the fifth day of the ongoing Brahmotsavams at Tirumala on Friday, September 22.
The pilgrim crowd which started swelling since Thursday evening peaked by the afternoon with all the open top galleries along the mada streets full to their capacity. Devotees preferred to stay put in the galleries after the procession of ‘Mohini Avataram’ braving the scorching sun, for fear of losing their seat in the heavy rush.
It was a testing time for the ‘Nitya Annadanam’ officials who ensured an uninterrupted supply of free food packets, buttermilk and water sachets to the pilgrims who remained on the mada streets and those waiting in the darshan lines.
Police personnel were posted in huge numbers at all the entry and exit points of the mada streets besides ambulances at the four corners along with paramedical staff to meet any emergency.
TTD Chairman B. Karunakar Reddy, Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy and Superintendent of Police Parameswara Reddy inspected the galleries in turns and also interacted with the devotees.
Restrictions
The devotees arriving in their own vehicles from various destinations were asked to collect special passes at identified points enroute enabling the police have primary information regarding the flow of vehicular traffic as the parking lots set up in the hill town can accommodate only around 15,000 vehicles.
TTD also appealed to devotees to park their vehicles at certain specified points in the vicinity of the Alipiri toll plaza and prefer public transport system in reaching the town.
Both trekking routes were abuzz with pilgrims and over 60,000 are estimated to have reached the town on foot since Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, pilgrims were subjected to severe inconvenience owing to the police and traffic restrictions and were forced to walk long distances after alighting their vehicles.
Special feeder channels were set up in the town to enable pilgrims arriving late in the evening to have darshan of the Garuda Seva procession.
Devotional fervour
The procession started at 7 p.m. amid thunderous chanting of ‘Govinda, Govinda’ by the assembled devotees.
The devotees who remained patiently seated in the galleries since early morning sprang on their feet as soon as the Vahanam emerged out of the Vahana Mandapam. Thousands of devotees lighted camphor and offered ‘harati’ from their respective positions.
The deity was adorned with rare and precious jewels, whose history is rooted deep in the legends. The jewels included the centuries-old ‘Makara Kanti’, five-layered ‘Lakshmi Kasula Sahasranama Haram’, ‘Kati’, ‘Varada Hastams, and the diamond-studded golden crown. The palm-sized pearl adorned to the chest of the deity atop the golden Garuda Vahanam was the cynosure of all eyes.
