Lord Takes Ride on Surya Prabha, Chinna Sesha, Gauda and Hanumantha With Pride in the First Half Day

Tirumala,19 February 2021: As part of the Ratha Sapthami festival on the auspicious occasion of Surya Jayanthi on Friday, Sri Malayappa Swamy donned different guises and took a celestial ride on Seven vahanams from dawn to dusk to cheer pilgrims. 

 

During the first half of the day starting with Suryaprabha Vahanam at 5:30am, the utsava idol of Sri Malayappa dressed in rich jewels and floral decorations enthralled and blessed the devotees on Chinna Sesha Vahanam between 9am and 10am, on Garuda Vahanam between 11am and 12noon and on Hanumantha Vahanam between 1pm and 2pm and blessed His devotees.

 

For the first time since COVID-19, TTD had organised the Ratha Sapthami vahana sevas on Mada streets by permitting only the darshan ticket or token holders to come to Tirumala and participate in day long festivities of seven vahana sevas. A peep into the Vahana Sevas which enthralled devotees in spiritual fervour during the first half. 

 

SURYA PRABHA VAHANAM:

 

Legends says that the Sun God, the key architect of life on earth, is being dragged by Seven horses with Anura as His charioteer. Sun God is symbolically represented for blessing with good health and a bright future. The mythology says that the darshan of Sri Malayappa on Surya Prabha Vahanam will provide long life, good health and prosperity to devotees. Sri Malayappa as Suryanaraynamurthy blessed the devotees on the first vahanam-the Suryaprabha Vahanam. 

 

CHINNA SESHA VAHANAM

 

The Chinna Shesha Vahanam is the second one wherein Sri Malayappa as in His original form as Venkatadrivibhudu blessed the devotees. According to mythology, Chinnasesha is the personification of Vasuki - the King of serpents. To make the human race conscious of the divine Kundalini energy the Lord has taken ride on Chinna Sesha Vahanam.

 

GARUDA VAHANAM

 

The Third vahana among the sequence of the Saptha Vahana Sevas during Ratha Sapthami is the most sought-after Garuda vahana Seva, believed to be the most favourite carrier to Lord Himself. During last year, due to the Covid pandemic as the devotees missed Garuda Vahana Seva in both the brahmotsavams which were performed in Ekantam, the Garuda Vahana Seva provided cynosure to the eyes of tens of thousands of devotees who converged in galleries on Friday.

 

HANUMANTHA VAHANA

 

The first half of Radha Sapthami concluded with Hanumanta vahanam on Friday. Lord Malayappa on Hanumantha Vahanam took out a majestic ride to bless His devotees.

 

Hanuman is usually considered as an icon of devotional bliss. Lord Hanuman symbolically stands for pure devotion, complete surrender and absence of ego. His character tells us what we can do in our lives by becoming pure. Hanuman represents the tenets of devotion and Sharanagathi in its both physical means and also in intellectual form.

 

TTD Chairman Sri YV Subba Reddy, TTD EO Dr KS Jawahar Reddy, Addl EO Sri AV Dharma Reddy, TTD Board Members Sri Parthasarathi Reddy, Sri Chippagiri Prasad, Sri Shivakumar, Sri DP Anantha, Smt Prasanthi Reddy, Dr Nischitha, Sri Govinda Hari, TTD CVSO Sri Gopinath Jatti, Uraban SP Sri Venkata Appala Naidu and others took part.