Tirumala Temple lit up with colorful lights as part of the annual Thursday ‘Teppotsavams’ (Floating Festival). | Photo credit: ARRANGEMENT
The five-day annual ‘Teppotsavams’ began at the Lord Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala on Thursday evening with traditional rituals marking the commencement of the swimming festival.
On the inauguration day, the idols of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Hanuman were taken in a ceremonial procession to the temple tank ‘Pushkarini’. Amid the chanting of Vedic hymns, the idols were placed on an ornate two-story float illuminated with colorful lights and decorated with flowers. The float was taken for three laps in the waters of the reservoir as part of the usual observance.
Devotees gathered in large numbers along the banks of Pushkarini to witness the ritual. Temple musicians rendered devotional numbers on wind and percussion instruments accompanied by nadaswaram music, while Vedic scholars recited hymns.
The surroundings of the temple tank were illuminated with illuminated carvings depicting various forms of Lord Maha Vishnu and the presiding deity, Lord Venkateswara.
Published – 26 Feb 2026 21:08 IST
