DEVOTIONAL WINDFALL TO DEVOTEES AT MADA STREETS

Tirumala, 5 October 2016: It has been a cultural windfall of Bahamians, bhakti music, devotional keertans of Annamayya and folk performances of folk troupes from all over Andhra Pradesh and the nation, presenting a grand spiritual spectacle to pilgrims and devotees who treak and travel from long distances to witness and experience the celestial event of Brahmotsavam- the annual festival at Tirumala.

The high light of this years bonanza of cultural fetes is the performance of large number of bhajan mandals on mada streets at Bhajan mantapams and also various platforms like Nada Niranjanam, Asthana Mantapam at Tirumala and auditoriums in Tirupati – Mahati,Shilparamam and Annamayya Kalaksetra. ‘The exercise is to provide the devotees a Vaikuntham like environment with constant and non stop rendering off bhajans, bhakti music,harikathas and devotional discourses ‘says Sri N Muktheswara Rao. OSD in charge of all TTD projects.

The focus this year is on the performance of artistes at the Bhajana mantapams along the mada street. As the galleries are filled with devotees after darshan Srivari Temple, the artistes keep the devotees glued to their seats with performance of bhajans, Govinda nama smaranams or bhakti sangeet with small breaks with the passing of the Vahana seavs of Lord Malappaswamy on the mada streets. ‘ We are thrilled to become partners at the mada street galleries by joining the artistes in Govinda nama smaranam and also bhajans ‘says Nirmala Kulkarni, one of the artists from Nanded who also sung enthralling Annamacharya sankirtans.

TTD EO Dr D Sambasiva Rao says that the small but attractively decorated mandapams and the Mada streets will become future windows of devotional literature, sankeertans and bhajans of Tirumala. ‘These mandapams are designed for an pious audience who are waiting for darshan of lord for hours and the live bhajans and bhakti music will enhance the devotional spiritual potential of Tirumala “, he said. Interestingly the mada streets with its lighting, sound and white painted streets, high elevated galleries, number of exit and entry gates has a capacity of seating 1.78 lakhs.

On the Garuda seva day almost 5-8 lakhs throng the venue spread over a radius of 3.2 kms and the TTD has made arrangements for the fast discharge of crowds as the vahanam chugs forward so that there is crush of crowds and every one got an opportunity to witness the celestial and richly bejeweled deity on the high wooden planks. Authorities have made elaborate plans for evacuation of crowds comprising of aged men, women, and children a safe journey home. ‘In this task, the bhakans, bhakti sangeet at the Mandapams will help in tempering the devotee crowds ‘says the Joint Executive Officer Sri K S Sreenivasa Raju, the key architect of Mada Street decorations and arrangements.

The game plan and strategy of TTD is to ensure that more and more devotees get the advantage of devotional flavor of Tirumala and hence the arrangements to keep the devotees engaged at Mada street galleries and to entertain the flow of devotee crowd coming of Srivari temple after darshan and also facilitate local crowds that come to Tirumala by walkers paths of Srivari Mettu and Alipiri paths on Garuda seva day. “Live Bhajans and bhakti sangeet on mada street platforms are innovative giving larger exposure to larger number of artists and bhajan mandals ‘says Mukteswar Rao. Nearly 120 bhajan mandals are participating in the Brahmotsavam -2016 from all over AP, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and many of them will get opportunity to perform both on Mada street Vahanams and the bhajan mantapams.