Thousands witness the overnight Vairamudi Brahmotsava, procession reaches Melukote

Mandya: Thousands of pilgrims from across the country gathered to witness the grand Vairamudi Brahmotsava at Melukote on Monday. The much-awaited procession of the decorated Lord Sri Cheluvanarayanaswamy commenced at 8pm and continued through the night, passing through the temple until 4am on Tuesday.
After the procession, the sacred Vairamudi crown was handed over to the treasury. In line with tradition, prayers were offered at the district treasury before the Vairamudi was taken out. Pilgrims travelled from various parts of the country, including Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to participate in the festivities.
Before the procession began, DC Kumara and SP Mallikarjuna Baladandi carried the Vairamudi boxes and actively participated in the procession in Mandya city. The boxes were then placed in vehicles, and the procession towards Melkote commenced. The event was conducted under tight security as the procession passed through several villages before reaching Melkote.
The DC explained that after leaving the district treasury, the Vairamudi first visited the Lakshmi Janardhana Swami temple, where prayers were offered for both the Rajamudi and Vairamudi crowns. The procession was carefully arranged to reach the Sri Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple in Melkote. As part of the district administration's efforts, prayers were offered at the district treasury for both crowns. The procession passed through more than 13 villages, amid strong security, to ensure the safety of the devotees. Once the procession reached its destination, the Vairamudi crown was handed over to the head priest of the Cheluvanarayaswamy temple. Once the procession concluded, the diamond-studded crown was safely stored in the treasury.
For the first time this year, a 24-hour Annadana service was organised for the devotees. Over 40 areas were equipped with CCTV cameras, and more than 150 buses were arranged to for the devotees' convenience. Over a lakh devotees attended the event, with 10 special buses arranged for elderly devotees from the parking area to the temple.
The event also saw a strong police presence, with over 1,200 police personnel deployed to maintain law and order.