The air was suffused with a combination of fresh flowers and camphor. In one corner, the priests were chanting hymns that descend into a perfect rhythm. The musicians played classical tunes by synchronising saxophone and ‘nadaswaram’ into a soothing blend. A thousand lamps were lit.
After a few minutes, the processional deities of lord Venkateswara along with His consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi were placed in the swing for ‘Unjal seva’. At the ‘Garbagudi’, Lord Venkateswara, draped in yellow-blue attire, was giving ‘Netra darsanam’.
For a moment, one gets a feeling of being on the Sannidhi Street, Tirumala. The only difference here is that devotees can have darshan of Malayappaswamy to their heart’s content without anybody pushing them forward, screaming ‘jaragandi’.
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It turned out to be bliss for hundreds of devotees who thronged Swarnabharathi Auditorium to witness myriad devotional shades of ‘Sri Venkateswara Vaibhavotsavam’, hosted by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam’s Dharma Prachara Parishat, as similar to the one featured at Tirumala. “It looks like ‘Vaikuntam’. Unlike in Tirumala, the treatment is uniform. TTD is providing a wonderful opportunity for those who cannot witness special sevas on the divine hills,” says V. Vijaya, a homemaker.
After his shift hours, Rajashekar, an MNC employee, rushes to the venue to spend a couple of hours, engrossing in spiritual fervour. He says, “I got an opportunity to participate in ‘Suprabhata seva’ which I have failed to secure the ticket in Tirumala. In the evening, I thoroughly enjoy ‘sahasradeepalankarana seva’ and ‘Annamayya keertanalu’.”
Most devotees say that it is an unforgettable experience for them. “It is difficult to get ‘abhishekam’ and ‘Tirupavada seva’ tickets at the main shrine. We got a rare chance to watch the same in the city without any extra effort,” said Srinivas Gupta, a radar mechanic at Naval Dockyard.
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