Thousands of devotees offered worship at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam on the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadasi on Thursday.
Amidst religious fervour , the processional idol of Namperumal left the ‘Paramapadavasal’ at 5 a.m. in the ‘Dhanur lagnam.’
The opening of the ‘Paramapadavasal’ marks the highlight of the festival. The deity was taken through the Rajamahendran thiruchutru and Kulasekaran thiruchitru before reaching the Vrija Nadhi Mandapam, a few meters ahead of the ‘Paramapadavasal.’
Scholars and pandits recited the Vedas at the Vrija Nadhi Mandapam.
Through ‘Paramapadavasal,’ Namperumal was taken to the 1,000-pillar mandapam where thousands of devotees offered worship throughout the day.
Elaborate arrangements were made in Srirangam and the temple to regulate the crowd. LCD television sets were set up at four prominent places to help people watch the rituals.
The entire stretch from the Rajamahendran thiruchutru to ‘Paramapadavasal’ was decorated with flowers on the lines of the decoration being done at Tirumala, according to P. Jayaraman, Joint Commissioner of the Temple.
