Pournami Garuda Seva observed at Tirumala

 TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has organised the ‘Bhadrapada’ month Pournami Garuda Seva of Lord Venkateswara Swamy on a grand note at the hill town of Tirumala on Friday.

Richly decorated and bejewelled utsava idol of Lord Malayappa Swamy was paraded on the four mada streets from 7pm to 9pm to bless the devotees.

Despite the incessant rains that lashed the hill town since Friday afternoon, thousands of devotees converged atop the sacred shrine to participate in the auspicious Garuda Vahana Seva. Ghatatopam, the huge protective canopy was carried above to shield the processional deity from rain.

Legends say that darshan of Lord Malayappa Swamy on his favourite vehicle of Garuda Vahana would help devotees have all boons, and also relief from ailments. Enhancing the importance to the Garuda Seva, rare ornaments like Makara Kanti, Lakshmi Kasula haram and Venkateswara Sahasra Nama mala, which are normally adorned to the presiding deity inside Srivari temple, will be decorated to the processional deity during this Vahana Seva.

Meanwhile, the three-day Pavitrotsavam concluded with Maha Purnahuti at the Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple in Tiruchanoor. The purification rituals are performed every year to ward off the ill-effects of certain acts done inadvertently by the temple staff or the visiting devotees.

The Pavitra Samarpana rituals were performed on Wednesday, as part of which the deities, shrines and sub-shrines were adorned with sacred garlands made of silk threads.

On Friday, the garlands were removed and a Shanti Homam, Kumbha Prokshana and Nivedana were performed.

Offerings were made by the priests to the Homa Gundam. Later, the Snapana Tirumanjanam was performed to the processional deities.