The sixth day of annual Karthika Brahmotsavams turned out to be a visual delight for the devotees as Goddess Sri Padmavathi Devi donned the avatar of ‘Utla Krishna’ and rode ‘Sarvabhoopala Vahanam’, around four mada streets of the temple, here on Monday.
With a flute in one hand and the other hand trying to hit the mud pots filled with butter, the Goddess resembled Lord Krishna, including the attire which had colourful robes and a peacock feather in the crown. Devotees flocked in huge numbers to witness the procession and chanted the divine names of the Goddess with utmost devotion.
While riding along the four mada streets encircling the temple, the Goddess halted for a few minutes at the Gangundra Mantapam to have some water and quench Her thirst. The mantapam is an ancient hall constructed by trustees of a charity organisation from Mysore (nearly 150 years ago). The name of the hall when translated becomes Gangundra – Having Gangajal. This practice of the deities stopping at the hall has been in vogue since decades and is considered a historical significance.
Procession of ‘Srivari Padukalu’ heldLater in the evening, Unjal Seva was accorded to the Goddess and was taken on a procession on ‘Garuda Vahanam’. As a part of the age-old tradition, ‘Srivari Padukalu’, a set of golden footwear of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy, was brought in a procession to the temple from ‘Pasupu Mandapam’, earlier in the day. The footwear was worn by the Goddess while riding the ‘Garuda Vahanam.’
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Executive Officer M.G. Gopal, Chandragiri Legislator Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, Joint Executive Officer Pola Bhaskar, ACVSO Sivakumar Reddy, Temple Special Grade Deputy EO Chenchu Lakshmi, former TTD Board Chairman K. Bapiraju and several others took part in the religious fête.
