Welcome showers welcome devotees ahead of Garuda Seva in Tirupati on September 19

A view of the rainbow that appeared over the Garuda statue at Alipiri, at the foot of the Tirumala Hills, on Friday evening (September 18, 2026), after the city of Tirupati was lashed by a sudden downpour. | Photo credit: KV Poornachandra Kumar

Even as thousands of devotees thronged the temple town of Tirupati ahead of the ‘Garuda Seva’ to be performed on Saturday (September 19, 2026) as part of the ongoing annual Salakatla Brahmotsavams in Tirumala, a sudden downpour brought down the temperature and provided much-needed relief.

The day was hot and sunny till the afternoon, while the city and the Tirumala Hills were enveloped in a thick cloud cover in the evening, leading to a sudden and continuous downpour.

The crowd of pilgrims who reached Tirupati Railway Station and APSRTC Central Bus Station on Saturday (September 19, 2026) before heading to the hills to watch the celestial spectacle were thoroughly drenched by the rain.

However, the mountain city did not experience any rain and hence no disruption to the procession of the deities around the temple was reported.

Published – 19 Sep 2026 0:25 AM IST