Festivals constitute a necessary aspect of any religion.  Besides the benefits which are purely religious,  they develop community feeling and channelize individual energies towards a common social concern.  The temples being essentially collective institution and centers of social interaction, they attach great significance to festivals According to the agama texts festivals in temples are described as greatly meritorious as they achieve renewed sanctity for the deities worshiped and help people accomplish all their cherished objectives in life.

The Tirumala Brahmostsavam celebrated every year at Sri Venkateswaraswami temple is the most spectacular festival.  the festival is so called because Lord Brahma Himself is supposed to conduct the festival in honor of the Lord.

Though everyday is a day of festivity on the Holy Hills this nine-day Brahmostsavam has its own grandeur and uniqueness.  During the festival, millions of pious devotees converge on Tirumala to witness the colorful processions, dazzling illumination, scintillating music and to experience the spiritual ambience that purifies one’s mind and soul.

The Tirumala Brahmostsavam of Lord Venkateswara, the presiding deity of the Seven Hills, is the most splendid and spectacular of all the festivals in tirumala. With the influx of multitudes of pilgrims and bubbling activity. entire Tirumala wears a festive appearance with dazzling illumination, melodious and devotional concerts, heart purifying puranas and other vedic recitals.  In addition to this, the colorful processions of Lord Venkateswara in all these nine days in various vahanams, and the gathering of the pilgrims irrespective colour, or caste and creed, substantiate the age – old belief that “if there be heaven on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this!”

About the origin of the Tirumala Brahmotsavam, it may be interesting to note that this festival which is being observed even from times immemorial in the present pattern without any deviation, is said to have been originally instituted by pitaamaha, the Chaturmukha Brahma.  varaha Purana and Sri Venkatachala ltihasamala bear eloquent testimony to this fact, which, but for want of space, could have been quoted here for the benefit of the readers.

If we leave the puranic age, the antiquity of which cannot be ascertained, inscription evidence takes back this festival to the period of Dantivarman pallava, in whose time Samvarai, a princess of pallave line of rulers, instituted the performance of brahmotsavam for seven days in the mont of Margazhi.  she made an endowment of lands, gold, and also a silver image of Lord srinivasa, known as ‘manavala perumal’ and donated the latter to the temple.

Records of the later period show that between 10th century and 12th century, in addition to the two Brahmotsavams performed in the month of purattasi and marghazi, similar festivals were observed in the month of Ati also.

The historical records of the Vijaynagara period show that Harihara ll instituted a fresh Brahmotsavam to the Lord and also dedicated some villages to the temple to meet the expenditure.

In spite of the recorded evidence about the Brahmotsavam in different months, only the festival failing in the month of purattas is in vogue now.

Though the festival is of ten-day duration, the first day passes off without much significance. On the evening of that day, sri vishvaksena is invoked and he goes round the four streets of tirumala in procession to collect sacred earth for the Yagasala where Homa is to be done in the sacred fire every day. He invites all gods to be present for the Utsavams which begin the next day.  In Tirumalaraya Manapam he will be honored in an asthanam.

The second day is the day of actual commencement of the festival. Garuda Dhwaja, the flag of Vishnu, (which is a big place of unused cloth with a painting of Garuda on it), will be hoisted to mark the beginning of the festival.  Sri Malayappa swamy, the processional deity of the Lord, will be brought together with His consorts Sri Devi and Bhudevi in Golden Tiruchi and be seated in tirumala raya Mandapa.  At the appointed hour the Garuda Dhwaja will be hosisted by chief Archaka amidst the veda Ghosha and Mangala vadya.

Thus this festival goes in for nine days with processions of the deity on various Vahanams.  To symbolize the fact, that this festival was instituted by Brahma himself, a decorated small chariot will precede the procession of Malayappa swami, both day and night, to signify that Brahma, though unseen, will be present supervising the arrangements.

On the first night, Sri Malayappa Swamy anf His consorts go round the temple in procession on the Big Sesha Vahana, a serpent of seven hoods.

On the moringin of the second day, there will be a procession of Malayappa Swamy alone on the Small sesha Vahanam.  At the night, the processional deity wil grace the procession on hamsa Vahana.

Simha (Lion) and Muthya pandiri ( a pavilion decorated with strings of pearls) will be the Vahanams of the processional deity on the third day moming and night festivals respectively.

On the fourth day Sri Malayappa Swamy with His consorts adoms kalpa Vriksha Vahana and goes round the temple as if to establish the fact that he has enshrined Himself at tirumala for the  emancipation of mankind and also to bestow boons of material and spiritual prosperity on those who offer themselves in complete surrender. On the evening, the processional deities will be taken in procession on a gold gilded vahanam known as Sarva Bhupala Vahanam. This Vahanam in th night, dazzling the eyes with the refection of the radiant lights creates the ecstatic feeling that the devotee is in communion with god while the Lord is absolving all his sins by a touch through His radiance.

The fifth day is the most important day of the Brahmotsavam.  The special feature of this day is the Mohini Avatara, a decoration to the Lord in the female garb.  A coordine to the puranas Lord Srimannarayana assumed female form, Mohini a divine damsel, to deceive the rakshasas and to distribute the Amritha to Devas.  Further, in the Bhagavata there is and interesting episode as to how Lord Vishnu in His Mohini Avathara, with the bewitching beauty could mesmerize even Lord Mahadeva, the destroyer of Manmatha.  The processional deity of the Lord will be decorated as a woman and even the Varada hastha will be changed to abhaya hastha and all feminine jewels will be adorned ot the deity. The deity will be taken in procession in an ivory palanquin.

The night festival is the highlight of the Brahmotsavam,.  People from every nook and comer of the country gather at tirumala in thousands from the morning itself with unstinted devotion to have theDarsan of the Lord adrning the Garuda Vahana.  Till late hours ing night multitudes of devotees wo;; [atoemt;u awaot the arrova; pf <a;aua[[a Swamy and subsequent procession of the Lord on Garuda Vahana.  On this sacred day, rare jewels like Lakshmi Hara, Makara Kantika of the main deity (of Moola Vigraha) will be adorned to malayappa Swamy, the processional deity,  How the devotee feels at this spectacular sight is inexplicable.  It should be seen to be enjoyed and experienced.

On the sixth morning Sri malayappa Swamy, modestly but impressively decorated, goes round the Mada Streets on Hanumantha Vahana.  In the evening there will be Vasanta Utsavam.  For this Malayappa situated in the west Mada Street in the afternoon itself.  After abhishekham or tirumanjanam in scented water and subsequent Asthanam, the Lord will return to the temple.  In the night the Lord graces the Elephant Vahanam in tirumala brahmotsavam.

On the seventh day, morning and night the Lord adorns the Surya prabha and Chandra prabha Vahanams as if to denote that He is the cause of their prosperity.

The eighth day, is the day of Rathostsava to the Lord. In the early hours of that morning Sri Malayappa Swamy, decorated gorgeously sets out for the car festival at the appointed time.  The ratha which is huge wooden structure will be dragged by the devotees with unsurpassed fervor and devotion.  Like Garuda seva festival, Rathyotsava presents a confluence of devotion and bliss.  That night the Lord graces the procession on Aswa Vahana.

This Brahmotsavam will be celebrated twice, firstly in the month of Bhadrapada and secondly in the month of aswayuja  the latter is called second Brahmotsavam or Navarathri Utsavam.  This happens once in every three years on account of Adhika masa.

Avabhrithotsava day. Is the ninth and last day of Brahmotsavam. The Processional deities after going round the temple streets reach the shrine of varaha swami on the banks of swami on the banks swami pushkarini and enjoy avbhirita snana or tirumanjana at the appointed hour. Pilgrims from the surrounding villages will be awaiting the chakrasnana. The moment the sacred sudarsana chakra is dipped into the holy water of swamy pushkarani indicating the successful conclusion of the festival. Many of these thousands of pilgrims take holy dip in the swamy pushkarini. It is told in the puranas that a bath in swamy pushkarini, on this day will absolve one of all the sins and confer eternal bliss.

The deities return to the tirumala temple in golden tiruchi. The garuda ensign hoisted on the first day will be lowered and mangalaakshatas will be distributed to all, marking the successful completion of the ten days tirumala brahmotsavam festival. For Internet Booking of TTD Seva Online Tickets get the information here TTD Online

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