Huge turnout of devotees witness Lord Venkateswara Swamy\'s Garuda Vahana Seva

Tirupati: The hill town of Tirumala witnessed a huge turnout of devotees who congregated to partake in the auspicious Garuda Vahana Seva of Lord Venkateswara Swamy on Thursday.

From the early hours of dawn, Tirumala hills was engulfed in a sea of  devotees who remained seated throughout the day, lining the galleries that stretched across the four mada streets, all with a desire to witness the celestial journey of the Lord on the back of the divine Garuda.

The timing of the Garuda Seva, coinciding with the Navaratri festivities, attracted pilgrims not only from Andhra Pradesh but also from neighbouring states. In addition to this, the usual holiday pilgrim crowds contributed to
the influx of devotees in Tirumala.

Fearing limited space and unprecedented restrictions on pilgrim movement, many devotees chose to remain in the galleries following the Mohini Avataram procession in the morning.

As the waiting time proved no deterrent to ardent devotees when it came to the Garuda Seva, every available inch of space in the galleries surrounding the Tirumala temple was occupied by morning. This stretched the galleries
around the mada streets to their full capacity.

Amidst the bustling crowds, the Garuda Seva commenced in the evening at 6.30 pm, accompanied by the resonant chanting of 'Garuda Vahana Govinda' by the gathered devotees. To accommodate the enormous turnout, the procession was advanced by half an hour from its regular timing on normal days.

Seated majestically atop the golden Garuda Vahana, Lord Malayappa Swamy, adorned with the most precious and antique ornaments, including the Makara Kanti, Lakshmi haram, and Salagrama mala, among others, paraded along the
four mada streets. As Lord Srinivasa emerged in his supreme form, bathed in the glow of high-voltage arc lights, the devotees were mesmerised by the divine spectacle. Chanting in praise of the Lord, they witnessed the procession, which continued close to midnight.

As the galleries, with a capacity of approximately 1.69 lakh filled up, those who couldn't secure a spot within the temple premises spilled onto the streets surrounding the hill shrine. It is estimated that over one lakh pilgrims found themselves outside the galleries, watching the Garuda Seva procession on giant LED screens.

To ensure devotees’ comfort, the temple administration had made elaborate arrangements to ensure the comfort and convenience of the devotees. Adequate provisions were made for drinking water, food distribution, additional queue lines, and restroom facilities, leaving no room for inconvenience. TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, EO A.V. Dharma Reddy, CV&SO Narasimha Kishore, and other officials continuously monitored the arrangements.