Srivari Kalyanotsavam

Though we went for Lord Venkateswara's Darshan immediately after our marriage its mom's wish to perform Kalyanotsavam in Tirumala by Sri and me. Almost every year we plan to Tpt (nearly 20 times i went) but till now i have not participated in any special puja. Going to tirupati is a very great and sweet feeling for me as i remember my college days of studying in SVU campus and climbing the hills by foot with friends in every semester.

Tickets were booked for August 6th. Since booking of tickets is made online we have to collect the tickets in TTD Administrative office in Tirumala a day in advance. But since we could not go a day before from Hyderabad i called the customer care and narrated my problem. They advised us to go early ie before 8 AM on the same day and to request by telling the problem. We should collect before 8'o clock because the temple authorities should finalize the number of piligrims attending Kalyanotsavam.

Finally we collected the tickets and went to Vaikuntam Q complex to join the queue. we should be there by 11 Am. But there was a long queue already and who goes first will be seated very nearer to god. We got our seat very distant from the stage where God is kept. Ofcourse LCD's were arranged in between. 

Srivari Kalyanotsavam is performed to the utsava murti - Lord Sri Malayappa swami (instead of the main deity) and his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi. A purohit conducts the marriage and an archaka is consecrated to perform other rituals on behalf of the bridegroom. The wedding ceremony is held according to Vaikhanasa Agama rituals and starts with the Panchamurthi Puja. This is followed by recitation of Vedic mantras and pronouncing the family pedigree of the brides and bridegroom. The idols of the Lord and his brides face each other with a thera (screen) in between them. After the priests perform appropriate homas, the bridegroom and the brides are allowed to see each other at the appropriate auspicious moment as the screen is removed. This is followed by Mangala sutra dharana, Thalambralu and then Lord and his consorts are garlanded.

The duration of the seva is about one hour. Each ticket entitles 2 people to attend this arjita seva and they are awarded one silver Pendant (2 grams), two big laddu, five small laddus, one vastra bahumanam (Cloth Gift consisting of one silk Uttariyam for gents and one cotton blouse for ladies), two vada along with Lord's akshantalu ('sacred rice' used for blessing). At the conclusion of the seva, the ticket holders are also sent for the darshan of the main deity in the sanctum sanctorum.This seva starts exactly at 11:30am and ends up at 1:00pm followed by darshan. More than 500 couples will take part in this seva.

One important thing is TTD is strictly following the dress code for special pujas. Ladies have to wear saree and gents with Dhoti and an upper cloth called uttariyam . People who did not obeyed this rule were been sent out.