Padmavati Parinayotsavams in Tirumala off to a grand start

TIRUMALA: The three-day annual Padmavati Parinayotsavams took off to a colourful start at the famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara here on Monday.The processional deities of Lord Malayappa Swamy was brought on Gaja Vahanam while His two divine consorts - Sri Devi and Bhu devi reached the venue - Narayanagiri gardens on an exquisitely decorated golden palanquins.The glittering golden wedding hall (Swarnima Mandapam) set up to host the three-day celestial wedding ceremony stood cynosure to the eyes of the devotees. The entire mandapam as well as its precincts were coated with gold paint which further added to the aesthetic ambience. A Pune-based Sri Venkateswara Charitable Trust came forward to bear the entire cost of the ornamentation.

Swarnima mandapam

Work on the golden mandapam began on April 21 with the assistance of 60 experts from Chennai and Bengaluru and Pune-based Sri Venkateswara Charitable Trust
The interiors of the mandapam were painted gold. At the main entrance, Ashtalakshmi idols and Dasavataras of Lord Vishnu are attracting scores of devotees
Balakrishna stealing butter; Lord Vishnu, along with His consort Lakshmi, surrounded by peacocks and elephants remained the main attraction
The unjal mandapam was decorated with varieties of flowers and fruits. Nearly, one tonne flowers were used for decoration