Chandra Prabha Vahanam
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).
Handsome Lord on the King of Stars
On the seventh day of Brahmotsavas, Lord Malayappa Swami goes on a procession in the Lunar carriage (Chandra Prabha Vahana Seva) in the cool night. Lord Srikrishna proclaims in the Bhagavad Gita: “I am the Moon among the stars” (“Nakshatraana Maham Sashee”).
According to Purusha Sukta, the Moon is born of God’s mind. While the Sun lights up the day, the Moon lights up the night. The Moon shines with the aid of the Sunlight. With its immortal cool rays, it causes delight. Similarly, the Lord on the Moon carriage also offers a pleasant sight.
