Tirupati Thirukudai

TIRUPATI THIRUKUDAI

INTRODUCTION

Tirupati Thirukudai is the sacred Umbrella which gives shelter to the Utsava Idols of Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala, especially during the Garuda Seva of Annual Brahmotsavam festival days. These Umbrellas are made out of specially designed silk clothes, and it would contain about 7 feet height. These Umbrellas would start their journey from the ancient Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple, located at Parrys, and after halting at several places in Chennai, finally it would reach Tirumala, and there, these sacred Umbrellas would be handed over to the TTD authorities.

Before reaching Tirumala, these umbrellas would be halted in some temples and during that time, shops would be newly formed nearby the temples, and small children would buy their favourite items like sweets and toys from those shops with a smiling face, and they would surprisingly see this Thirukudai, and as per the advices of their parents, they would bow their hands and worship those umbrellas. Devotees would eagerly witness the appearance of Tirupati Thirukudai, and worship it by considering it as Lord Venkateswara himself. Apart from the Brahmotsavam days, these divine Umbrellas would give shelter to the Lord on all other days also.

This tradition is followed for more than hundred years, and ancient kings of Andhra Pradesh have paid great respect to these sacred umbrellas, and they used to actively participate in the Brahmotsavam festivals of Tirumala.

Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala is showering his grace on his devotees in various forms, and among those forms Tirupati Kudai is the best form, and it is believed that this divine Umbrella contains the features of Lord Venkateswara. Before a century, lot of devotees used to travel by walk in order to proceed towards Tirumala during the Brahmotsavam festival days in order to witness the sacred Umbrellas, and during that time they used to chant the name of Lord Venkateswara as “GOVINDA”, “GOVINDA”, in a loud manner, and during that time, devotees would forget their worries temporarily and would think only about Lord Venkateswara.

“OM NAMO VENKATESWARAYA NAMAHA”

WRITTEN BY

R.HARISHANKAR