Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Thousands witness tirukalyanam

Photo: R_Ashok

HOLY MARRIAGE: Sri Srinivasa Tirukalyanam Uthsavam in progress in Tiruchi on Sunday. —

TIRUCHI: It was a rare opportunity for thousands of Tiruchiites on Sunday to witness the Sri Srinivasa Tirukalyana Urchavam, organised by the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam, the Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad in co-ordination with the Sri Renga Seva Trust, Tiruchi.

All through the rituals that lasted for about four hours, men, women and children who had gathered at the National College Grounds - the venue of the holy rituals, felt that they were perhaps atop the Tirumala, listening to the popular devotional songs in Telugu in praise of the Lord of Seven Hills.

The rituals were marked by minute details of the holy solemnising of the celestial marriage of Sri Srinivasa Perumal and Sri Thayaar. Vedic pandits from Tirumala, who solemnised the marriage in strict adherence to the holy rituals, by reciting verses from sacred texts, also ensured that the devotees understood the meaning of every custom.

Before commencing a ritual, they explained its significance to the gathering over the public address system.

The accompaniment of ‘nagaswaram’ immediately followed, charging the devotees with religious fervour.

Some of the important rituals included the ‘kanganam’, ‘sankalpam’, ‘noothana vastram’ and ‘maha sankalpam’.

An opportunity for devotees to perform ‘sankalpam’ came as a surprise in store for the gathering.

With the huge crowd raising the holy slogan ‘Govinda Govinda,’ a priest displayed the glittering ‘tirumangalyam’ to the devotees, minutes before it was adorned to Sri Thaayar.

Elaborate security arrangements were made to regulate the crowd inside the campus and for regulating the traffic on the busy Dindigul Road. Mayor Sarubala R. Tondaiman was among those present.

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