Splendour marked the annual ‘Ratha Sapthami’ festival at the temple of Lord Venkateswara, at Tirumala on Friday. The festival began with the procession of ‘Surya Prabha’ vahanam in the morning and concluded with ‘Chandra Prabha’ at night. In between, the processional deity of Lord Malayappa Swamy was brought out on other five different vahanams.
Thousands of pilgrims who had reached the temple town on Thursday converged at the north-west corner of the hill temple to witness the first rays of the sun fall on the deity mounted atop the ‘Surya Prabha’ vahanam.
The air reverberated with the chanting of Govinda namam, recitation of ’Aditya Hrudayam’ and Suryastakam by the students of SV Balamandir. Devotees offering ‘haratis’ from their respective places in the galleries by lighting camphor was a mesmerising sight.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) authorities, led by Chairman B. Karunakar Reddy and Executive officer A.V. Dharma Reddy, ensured uninterrupted supply of free food, water and beverages to the devotees who remained under the temporary sheds set-up along the mada streets across the day. Several private mutts and charitable institutions also organised annadanam.
Vehicular commotion
Meanwhile, pilgrims were incovenienced with the diversion of vehicular traffic and partial closure of certain entry points leading into the mada streets. They were compelled to deboard at distant places and trek all the way to reach the mada streets. The closure of the car parking area at Medarmitta became a hassle as devotees in their quest to witness the processions indiscriminately parked vehicles on either side of the road and thronged the enclosures on the mada streets.
