Tirupati temple idols to be brought to Delhi for ceremony

The idols of Lord Sri Venkateswara of the famous Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh will be brought to the capital for a special ceremony next Sunday.

The 'utsava murthis' or processional idols of Lord Sri Venkateswara, Laxmi and Padmavati will be brought to the capital from Tirupati for 'Kalyana Mahotsavam' puja.

The idols are being brought to the capital for the celestial 'Kalyanama Mahotsavam' or the symbolic wedding of Lord Venketeswara with Laxmi and Padmavati. The idols are made of five metals and embedded with precious stones.

About 40 priests, including the head priest, will escort the idols from Tirupati to Delhi.

"Traditionally, devotees go to seek blessings of the Lord but this time the Lord is coming to bless his  devotees. Actually, there are a lot of aged people who cannot make it to Tirupati so these idols have been brought here," N Rajesekhara Babu, an organiser, said.

Kalyana Mahotsavam puja is performed daily for about three hours in Tirupati and it is for the fourth time that such a ceremony is being organised in Delhi.