The TTD-run Sri Kodandarama temples in Tirupati and Chandragiri are decked up for the grand celestial spectacle ‘Sita Rama Kalyanam’.

Ahead of the festival, a procession of the pearls meant to be used for the ‘talambralu’ in the celestial wedding were taken in a grand procession for public view on elephant back from the TTD’s administrative building to the temple on Monday. Earlier, the ‘Kankana Bhattar’ (chief priest) Ananda Kumar Dikshitulu performed special ‘puja’ to the pearls.

Similarly, the Sri Kodandarama temple at Chandragiri, which gained prominence after coming under the TTD management a few years back, witnessed a grand start to the annual Brahmotsavams with ‘Dhwajarohanam’. The Garuda flag was hoisted atop the flag post during the auspicious ‘Vrishabha Lagnam’ between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Meanwhile, the deity of Lord Rama was decked up as ‘Vatapatra Sayee’ and carried in a procession around the temple as part of the ongoing Brahmotsavams at Vontimitta in Kadapa district on Monday. ‘Vatapatra Sayee’ means ‘Lord sleeping on a banyan tree leaf’. Markandeya Maharshi Charitra has a reference to this episode, where Lord Vishnu appears in the form of an infant lying on a banyan leaf (vatapatra) floating in water during hailstorm, to fulfil a wish given to sage Markandeya for his penance. The unique guise attracted the devotees who converged in large numbers.