Despite the incessant rains that lashed the temple town of Lord Venkateswara since Friday afternoon, tens of thousands of devotees from different parts of the country converged atop the sacred shrine to participate in the auspicious Garuda Seva festival as part of the ongoing Navaratri Brahmotsavams.
Sunny morning
The town, which woke up to a sunny morning, witnessed a colourful procession of the Mohini avatharam wherein the deities mounted atop the exquisitely decorated ivory palanquin were taken out in a grand procession around the sacred shrine.
Within a couple of hours the weather turned gloomy with dark clouds dominating the blue sky. Minutes later, the town reeled under the spell of incessant rains that continued till late in the night.
Undeterred by the inclement climatic conditions, several thousands of devotees preferred trekking up the sacred hills. The ghat road leading to Tirumala also witnessed heavy vehicular traffic. With the TTD management prohibiting movement of two-wheelers on the ghat road on the eve of the mega event, the sprawling old security point at Alipiri was packed with motorcycles.
With there being no let up in the unremitting rains, the TTD management, in what is conceived as a bold decision, advanced the procession by over an hour for the convenience of the thronging devotees.
Meanwhile, the deity atop the golden Garuda vahanam was adorned with very rare and antique jewels.
