Splendour marks the ‘Rathotsavam’ at Tirumala

The air was electrified with chants of Govinda Govinda as the town wore a vibrant festive look.

Frenzied devotion marked the Rathotsavam (car festival) festival on Friday (October 11, 2024), as tens of thousands of devotees thronged the mada streets encircling the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara to witness the majestic procession of Lord Malayappa, flanked by his divine consorts, on the penultimate day of the annual Brahmotsavams.

The processional deity, resplendent atop the giant wooden chariot, was ecstatically pulled around the thoroughfares of the town, sending the assembled devotees into raptures. The air was electrified with chants of Govinda Govinda as the town wore a vibrant festive look.

Pilgrims flooded the mada streets hours before dawn, in their eagerness to catch a divine glimpse of the royal procession.

After the completion of the weekly abhishekam, the deities were taken out in a procession from inside the temple and ceremoniously mounted atop the chariot between 4:45 am and 5:15 am at the pre-designated sumuhurtham.

The chariot was tastefully decorated with flags and festoons befitting the grand occasion and lasted for more than two hours.

TTD officials ensured the smooth conduct of the festival, which drew devotees from across the country.

Published - October 12, 2024 09:21 am IST