One day – one
aim: Tirupati! We were on the very auspicious soil, but had to wait for one
night to finally set off for Tirumala. Right early in the morning, we started
our pilgrimage and took not more than two hours to reach the top of the hills.
They allow vehicles right to the top, and walking all the way is an option many
pilgrims still go for. We vowed, too, to walk the whole way the next time
we will be here.
We set out
unbathed from the home, considering we had to go to Kalyan Katta first. Kalyan
Katta/tonsuring booths are for those who want to offer their hair to the Lord. One
could also offer 10-15 strands from their head, if they don’t want to go for the complete
shave. We chose the latter option.
Having
participated in the auspicious task, we freshened up, changed and moved on to the Kalyan Mandapam, in Sri
Venkateswara Swamy temple, to perform Kalyanotsavam. Srivari Kalyanotsavam is performed to the utsava murti of the Lord
Sri Malayappa swami and his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi in the marriage hall. The
wedding ceremony is held amidst recitation of the vedic mantras and pronouncing
the family pedigree of the brides and bridegroom. A purohit conducts the
marriage and an archaka is consecrated to perform other rituals on behalf of
the bridegroom. Only grihasthas (married couples) are allowed to perform the
seva and they are given prasadams and clothes at the end of it. It was, indeed,
blissful to attend God’s wedding in proper Telugu traditions. Getting overwhelmed
by the puja, my husband expressed his desire to get remarried in Telugu style
some time in future! J We had a Punjabi wedding, considering
the fact that we didn’t face any opposition to the same from the groom’s side.
After
Kalyanam, we headed for darshanam of
Lord Venkateswara. Chanting ‘govinda govinda’ while still waiting for our
turn, we didn’t realize when we actually entered the boss’ house! From where
you stand to the actual place for darshanam, you would hardly get 3-4 seconds
to have a glimpse of the God, but the visual delight is incomparable. We forgot
everything, including ourselves, and entered a trance mode – experiencing
complete relief and solace. This was my first visit to Tirupati and I was all charmed
and satisfied with life. It was like, I was lost at the moment and, then, I
found a new ME.
 |
| Lord Venkateswara's Temple |
After
collecting the prasad (the yummy laddoos), we bade adieu to the Lord and
thanked them for the great darshanam. Thereafter, we set out for Padmavathi Ammavari Temple, some 28 km
away from Lord Venkateswara’s temple. Goddess Padmavathi is the consort of the
Lord and, yet, lives away from him. There’s a legend behind this, that she was
angry with the Lord and decided to immerse herself in river Swarnamukhi. After
thirteen years, Goddess Padmavathi emerged from a golden lotus as a reincarnation
of Goddess Lakshmi. Hence, the distance. The blissful feeling we had
experienced earlier, reentered us in the finest of its forms. Gleefully, we marched
on to Sri Govindarajaswami Temple.
 |
| Padmavathi Ammavari Temple |
 |
| Sri Govindarajaswami Temple |
We had a
train to catch at 8:30 PM for an overnight journey to Vishakhapatnam, so we
decided to munch on Hotel Bhimas’ in-house restaurant. Again, delicious food
there made us munch a bit extra, pushing our usual appetite to the edge. But the food here couldn't beat Mayura's standards. We
walked to the station, right next to our hotel having thanked everyone at the
hotel for a wonderful treatment, and boarded the train! What happens in Vizag will tell the next addition in this series. J
No comments:
Post a Comment