TIRUMALA: As per the age-old tradition, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy offered ‘Pattu Vastralu’ (silk clothes) to Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala Temple on the occasion of Garuda Seva on Monday, October 11, 2021, evening during the ongoing annual Srivari Brahmotsavams. It is customary for the Chief Minister to offer the sacred clothes on behalf of the government to Lord Venkateswara on Garuda Seva, which is performed on the fifth day of Srivari Brahmotsavams. The Chief Minister, who arrived in Tirumala around 6 pm was accorded a traditional welcome at Bedi Anjaneya Swamy Temple.
Temple chief priest Venugopala Deekshitulu helped the Chief Minister in donning Parivattam (a sacred cloth used to cover the head). Carrying the Pattu Vastralu in a silver plate on his head, Jagan proceeded from Bedi Anjaneya Swamy Temple to the main temple of Lord Venkateswara, amidst the chanting of sacred hymns by priests and music of melam and nadaswaram.
He was accompanied by TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy, executive officer Dr KS Jawahar Reddy, priests, officials, ministers, MPs, MLAs, and others. After entering the temple, he handed over the vastralu to the temple chief priest and offered prayers to the presiding deity.
Later, he participated in Garuda Seva, which for the second consecutive year is being performed in Ekantham. Among the Vahana Sevas during annual Brahmotsavams, Garuda Vahana Seva is the most important, as Garuda is the principal mount of Lord Venkateswara. Normally on the day of Garuda Seva, entire Tirumala resembles an ocean of devout, but this year owing to the Covid pandemic and existing restrictions, it was not to be the case.
After offering prayers to Lord Venkateswara during Garuda Seva, the CM was given Veda Ashirvadam by the temple priests, besides Srivari Theertha Prasadam. He was also presented with a portrait of Lord Venkateswara made using dry flower technology and a coffee table book. On the occasion, he released TTD calendars and diaries for the year 2022.
Earlier in the day, ‘Tiruchi (Pallaki) Seva’ of Lord Bajali was performed. Accompanied by Sri Krishna Swamy, Sri Malayappa as Jaganmohini, in all His divine splendour, holding a golden parrot in one hand, was seated elegantly on an ivory palanquin draped in silks and glittering with diamond-studded gold jewels.