For the first time, the idols of Lord Balaji and Goddess Padmavati will be brought from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam to Mumbai for their traditional wedding ritual.
MUMBAI: For the first time, the idols of Lord Balaji and Goddess Padmavati will be brought from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam to Mumbai for their traditional wedding ritual.
The event, scheduled to be held on December 2 and 3 at a 90,000 sq metre plot in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, is expected to draw more than 10 lakh devotees. The event will offer a rare view of the original idols to those who cannot travel to Tirupati.
Unprecedented security has been put in place for the celebration. The South Indian Education Society (SIES), which is organising the event, believes that the blessings from the celestial union will assuage the pain the city has felt in this year of tribulations.
“Mumbai has seen so much turmoil over the past year,” said V Shankar, secretary, SIES. “We are sure that Lord Balaji will soothe everyone and help us end the year on a perfect note.”
The holy cavalcade, carrying the idols and 60 priests, will travel by road from Tirupati, protected by a stringent security cover. It will reach the venue, the MMRDA grounds, on December 2. A replica of the Tirumala temple will be created for the event by artists invited from South India.
The prasadam for the wedding is proving to be the biggest challenge for SIES; an extraordinary five lakh laddoos are likely to be distributed. “We need at least six to seven caterers in Mumbai, or will have to order them from Chennai or Tirupati,” Shankar said. “We don’t want anyone to go empty handed.”
The organisers want to provide bottled water for devotees, but the colossal supply required is posing some logistical questions.
The gods will be married with Vedic rites in the presence of Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswati. “This will probably be the first time that the celestial wedding is performed on such a big scale outside South India,” said K Vishwanathan, a trustee. “We have arranged private security and will also have student volunteers to guide devotees.”
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