Rathasaptami celebrations are underway with grand religious fervour at the Tirumala temple, as Lord Venkateswara offers blessings to devotees on seven different vahanas in a single day. Marking Surya Jayanti, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is organising the annual festival with elaborate rituals, heavy pilgrim turnout, and strict crowd management. Devotees began gathering a day in advance to witness the rare celestial spectacle.
Seven vahana sevas mark Surya Jayanti
The Rathasaptami festivities started in the early morning with Lord Malayappa Swamy blessing devotees on the Surya Prabha Vahana. The celebrations will conclude at night with the Chandra Prabha Vahana. The Lord will appear on a different vahana every two hours, giving devotees multiple opportunities for darshan in a single day.
TTD has scheduled Surya Prabha, Chinna Sesha, Garuda, Hanumantha, Kalpavriksha, Sarva Bhoopala, and Chandra Prabha vahana sevas. Along with these rituals, the temple will also conduct the Chakrasnana Mahotsavam, which holds special spiritual significance for devotees.
Tirumala streets witness heavy devotee turnout
Devotees arrived in large numbers from the previous night to witness the vahana sevas. The four mada streets and temple surroundings remained packed as pilgrims waited patiently for darshan. The festive atmosphere continued throughout the day, with chants and devotional fervour filling Tirumala.
To ensure smooth movement, TTD implemented special queue systems and deployed additional staff. Authorities cancelled several arjitha sevas for the day to manage the crowd efficiently and provide better access to common devotees.
Traffic congestion reported at Alipiri checkpoint
Heavy rush was reported at the Alipiri Saptagiri toll gate as vehicles lined up for Tirumala. Devotees faced long waiting hours, with motorists taking over one and a half hours to cross the checkpoint. The traffic congestion caused inconvenience to pilgrims arriving for Rathasaptami darshan.
TTD officials coordinated with traffic police to regulate vehicle flow and reduce delays. Additional checks and guidance were arranged to assist devotees during peak hours.
TTD official shows a gesture of compassion
TTD Additional Executive Officer Venkaiah Chowdary won praise for his compassionate act during the celebrations. While inspecting facilities in the Mada streets, he noticed a woman devotee shivering due to the cold weather. He immediately offered his sweater to her, drawing appreciation from pilgrims.
Venkaiah Chowdary also interacted with devotees and reviewed the arrangements provided by TTD. His gesture highlighted the humane approach taken by officials to ensure devotees feel safe and cared for during Rathasaptami at Tirumala.
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