Celestial Padmavathi Parinayotsavam commences at Tirumala's Narayanagiri gardens
Tirupati: The annual three-day Padmavathi Parinayotsavam festival, marking the celestial wedding of Lord Venkateswara and His consorts, started in a grand fashion at the Narayanagiri Gardens on Friday evening.
Thousands of pilgrims congregated there to witness the festivities.
The auspicious event commenced with the processional deity of Lord Malayappa Swamy being carried on the Gaja Vahana (elephant carrier) to the beautifully decorated Narayanagiri Gardens. His two consorts, adorned in exquisite ornaments, followed soon after, placed as they were on separate palanquins.
Traditional Hindu wedding rituals like Edurkolu, Poobantata and Varanam Ayiram were performed, treating the devotees to a spiritual spectacle. The Parinayotsavam mandapam itself was decorated to befit the divine occasion, with an ornate lotus flower design formed out of thousands of blossoms at the Unjal Mandapam.
Artwork depicting scenes from the Lord's life further enhanced the charm of the venue, with Worli art paintings of Sri Krishna, sun bond themes, and the Kora art portrayal of Srinivasa Padmavati's wedding serving as special attractions.
Brilliant lighting added to the evening's celestial grandeur.
TTD officials including executive officer AV Dharma Reddy, deputy executive officer S Lokanatham, garden deputy director Srinivasulu, SVETA director Subramanyam Reddy and others were present.
The Padmavathi Parinayotsavam is scheduled to continue over the next two days.