GARUDA SEVA ATTRACTS HUGE CROWDS AT TIRUMALA

Tirumala, 18 October 2015 : The most auspicious of events of Navarastri Brahmotsavams, the Garuda Seva, procession of Lord Venkateswara on his pet vehicle of Garuda was a big draw at Tirumala this evening in spite of traffic and security issues.

It is a sea of humans at Tirumala as thousands of devotees congregated for the most picturous,colorful and holiest item on the cards of Brahmotsavams. Despite the TTD banning the Two wheelers from Tirupati, thousands had been coming to Trumala by either walk or by bus to participate in the Garudotsavan which they consider as the holiest of all events at Tirumala.All roads from Tirupati are leading to Tirumala today.Both the foot walkers paths – Alipiri and Srivari Mettu are flooded with locals climbing at neck break speed to reach top and occupy vantage positions in the galleries around the Mada streets- the venue of the Mega show on earth – Garuda Vahanam.

The hill shrine of Tirumala resounded with the chanting of Govinda, Govinda Nama in full gusto and zeal when the Vahanam was lifted from the Vahana mandapam at sharp 8.00 PM.It appears entire humanity is here to witness the celestial event as Lord Venkateswara rode the mighty Garuda Vahanam with his entourage and blessed the common man.

Garuda Vahana Seva is considered to be the most important and prominent one among the vahana sevas in Sri Vaishnavaite temples.The procession of Lord Malayappa Swamy adorned with dazzling jewels , special diamond Keeratam and in bright silk vastrams and seated on Garuda Seva was a feast for devotees.As the Key watcher of happenings around Lord Vishnu,Garuda also supervised the entire Srivari Brahmotsavam,say the legends.Garuda Seva well known and prominently practiced in108 countries in the Indian and South Asian countries is widely watched with great in the countries like Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia.

All the galleries on the Mada street were exploding with devotees eager to witness the Garuda Vahanam .Many were spilled over the streets and by lanes of Tirumala eager to get a glance of the Garuda Vahanam on the mada streets,though the life size LED TV’s set up in over 23 locations of Tirumala.

The Annadanam division had made elaborate arrangements to provide food,drinking water,snacks and also arrangement with enough lighting,mobile toilets and also security teams.Over 1.5 lakh were fed with delicious curd rice and Kadamb annams at the four mada streets besides 2 lakh packets of butter milk and 5 lakh packets of water on garuda seva day “says DEO Venugopal, in charge of Anna Prasadams .

Chairman Dr Ch Krishnamurthy, Executive Officer Dr D Sambasiva Rao, Joint Executive Officers Sri K.S.Sreenivasa Raju, Sri Pola Bhaskar, SP (URBAN) Sri Gopinath Jatti, CV&SO Sri Nagendra Kumar, Board Members Smt Suchithra Ella, Sri Hariprasad, Sri Raghavendra Rao, Sri AV Ramana, Sri Vaidyanathan Krishnamoorthy, Sri Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, Sri G Bhanuprakash Reddy, ACVSO Sri Sivakumar Reddy, DyEO Temple Sri Chinnamgari Ramana, Peishkar Sri R.Selvam, Parpathyedar Sri Ajay and others were present.