Gaja Vahana Seva
There is one ceremony or the other almost daily for Lord Venkateswara manifest on Tirumala.
Different ceremonies are conducted on a grand scale for the Lord with different time frames— daily, fortnightly, monthly, and yearly. Of them, special mention may be made of annual Brahmotsavas.
Devotees go on raptures witnessing the Lord on different carriages and earnestly wait for the earliest opportunity to visit them. Brahmotsavas are conducted twice this year much to their jubilation.
Because of the addition of one month as per the Telugu Calendar, two categories of Brahmotsavas are conducted this year, namely—Salakatla and Navaratri (nine-day).
Lord of the Universe on the Regal Elephant
On the sixth day evening, Malayappa Swami alone goes on a procession on the elephant carriage (Gaja Vahana Seva) reminding us of the “Gajendra’s Redemption” episode of the Bhagavata. It suggests that the Lord will come to the rescue of those who seek His refuge just as He did in the case of the distressed elephant.
A glimpse of the Lord on the elephant carriage, it is believed, will redeem us from the troubles, however, grave they may be.
This world is like a lake. The crocodile is our karma. The elephant is the embodied soul. Venkateswara is the Lord who redeems us from earthly ties and karma. The carriage suggests that the devotees, instead of gloating over their strength, should completely surrender to the Lord and seek His refuge leaving their upkeep to the Lord.
