Tirumala Brahmotsavams Day 4: Kalpavriksha Vahana Seva Draws Devotees
On the fourth day of Tirumala Brahmotsavams, Lord Malayappa Swamy appeared as Govula Gopanna atop the Kalpavriksha Vahana, with garlands and umbrellas arriving for Garuda Seva.
The fourth day of the annual Brahmotsavams at Tirumala saw Lord Malayappa Swamy, flanked by his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, taken in procession as 'Govula Gopanna' atop the Kalpavriksha Vahana on Friday morning.
The deities were carried along the four mada streets encircling the hill shrine, where devotees filled the galleries to seek blessings. The Kalpavriksha Vahana represents the mythical wish-fulfilling tree linked to the divine bounty said to have emerged during the churning of the cosmic ocean. Lord Srinivasa, seated on the celestial carrier, is traditionally believed to grant devotees their cherished aspirations.
Ahead of Saturday's Garuda Seva, traditional flower garlands from Srivilliputhur in Tamil Nadu arrived at Tirumala on Friday. The 'Andal' and 'Shikhamani' garlands were received at the Pedda Jeeyar Mutt near the Sri Bedi Anjaneyaswami temple, where temple seers and TTD authorities conducted special rituals. They were then taken in a ceremonial procession to the hill shrine and handed over to temple authorities for the adornment of Lord Malayappa Swamy.
Ceremonial umbrellas also reached the temple ahead of the Garuda Vahana Seva. The Chennai-based Tirupati Umbrella Charities, which has offered umbrellas to the shrine for several decades, presented 11 umbrellas to the TTD; these were carried along the mada streets before being handed over. Separately, the Hindu Dharmartha Samithi presented nine umbrellas brought on foot from Chennai. Samithi trustee R.R. Gopal said the offering marked the 22nd consecutive year of the tradition and clarified that the organisation had neither collected money from devotees nor raised funds for the event.
The day's proceedings concluded with the night-time procession of the Sarva Bhoopala Vahanam.