Lord of Seven Hills to get new set of curtains for Vaikunta Ekadasi

Dazzling curtains adorned with divine images to be gifted to Lord Venkateswara's temple ahead of Vaikunta Ekadasi festival.

A set of three new curtains, studded with dazzling glitter beads and bearing divine images, will soon adorn the three thresholds leading to the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Venkateswara’s temple at Tirumala ahead of the ‘Vaikunta Ekadasi’, which falls on January 10.

The curtains have been readied by Tirupati-based tailor M. Subramanyam (Mani), who has been gifting such curtains to the temple on four occasions every year for the past 25 years.

It is an ancient practice for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to undertake a cleansing event called ‘Koil Alwar Tirumanjanam’ and beautify the inner precincts of the temple by smearing the walls with a rich paste made of camphor, turmeric, vermilion, sandal and other aromatic substances.

This is done four times a year—Vaikunta Ekadasi, Ugadi, Anivara Asthanam and Srivari Brahmotsavams. The festivals take place in a gap of three months, viz., December/January, March/April, June/July and September/October. The curtains at the three thresholds are changed during this event.

The curtains prepared by Mr. Subramanyam measure 9ft. x 6.5ft. and feature resplendent shades and thematic representation of Lord Venkateswara, His incarnations and allied mythological representations.

“The curtain for adorning the ‘Bangaru Vakili’ (golden threshold) depicts the images of Lord Krishna, Andal, Gomatha and two parrots, depicting the Dhanurmasam,” says Mr. Subramanyam.

The curtain set to decorate the next threshold, ‘Ramulavari Meda’, has an image of the Lord’s consort Goddess Padmavati. Mr. Subramanyam says it is this curtain that remains closed during Ekanta Seva, when the Lord falls into a celestial slumber, ahead of closing the temple for the day.