Five-day Sri Venkateswara Vaibhavotsavam begins in Hyderabad to devotees\' delight

HYDERABAD: The five-day festival of Sri Venkateswara Vaibhavotsavam kickstarted on Tuesday at the NTR Stadium with thousands of devotees participating in the event.

With the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) constructing a model Srivari temple at NTR Stadium, devotees can now witness the Nithya Kainkaryams (daily rituals) performed for Lord Venkateswara Swamy at Tirumala in the city itself, thanks to the TTD hosting 'Sri Venkateswara Vaibhavotsavam.

The Srivari temple model resembled the Tirumala temple in Tirupati, and the entire venue was decorated with flowers and plants, and huge LED screens were set up for devotees to watch the special pujas performed by over 300 priests.

A large number of devotees with tilaks on their foreheads arrived at the venue and chanted "Govinda-Govinda." On Tuesday, it was estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 devotees visited the venue, with seating for 10,000 people provided. The idol, which has been temporarily installed at the stadium, will be transported to TTD and relocated to another location within the temple.

Devotees can witness the Suprabhata Seva, Tomala Seva, Sahasra Kalasabhishekam, Abhishekam, Nijapada Darshanam, and other rituals during the five-day event. Suprabatam begins at 6 a.m., followed by Tomala Seva, Koluvu, Archana, Nivedana, Sattumora, Weekly Sevas, and Sarva Darshan to devotees from 10 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Similarly, Sahasra Deepalankara seva Veedhi Utsava, night Kainkaryams, and finally Ekantha Seva will signal the end of daily sevas for the next five days. TTD chief priest Venugopal Deekshitulu was also present and will continue to lead the puja for the next four days.