PNS|Vijayawada
The magnificent spectacle of ‘Srinivasa Kalyanams’, organised by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), captivated the hearts of NRI devotees in North America. The events took place in Raleigh (NC), Jacksonville (FL), Detroit (MI), and Chicago (IL) on June 17, 18, 24, and 25, respectively, as part of the grand Srinivasa Kalyanams held across North America. Devotees from various cities in Canada and the USA eagerly participated in these ceremonies, witnessing the splendid union of Lord Venkateswara.
In response to the requests from NRI Telugu communities and other cultural associations across Canada and the USA, Venkat S Medapati, President of the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS), approached TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy and TTD EO to seek their approval for conducting the ‘Kalyanam’ events. APNRTS, an entity of the Government of Andhra Pradesh dedicated to serving AP NRIs under the leadership of CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, worked in close coordination with TTD, NRI Telugu Cultural and Spiritual organizations, ensuring that these events were organized in accordance with the ‘Vykhanasa Aagamam’ tradition. Local volunteers contributed significantly by arranging the events on a grand scale and providing accommodation and hospitality to the visiting TTD priests and Vedic pundits.
The Kalyanam events were meticulously planned with diverse themes, and the venues and stages at each location were aesthetically arranged. Over 12,000 NRI devotees from Telugu-speaking states as well as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and other states enthusiastically participated in these events. The chants of Govinda namas echoed through the venues as devotees bore witness to the divine union of Sridevi, Bhudevi, and Lord Venkateswara during the ‘Kalyanam’ ceremony. As a token of devotion, ‘laddu prasadams’ directly brought from Tirumala were distributed among the attendees.
Expressing his thoughts on the occasion, Venkat S Medapati, who actively participated in these events, mentioned that ‘Srinivasa Kalyanams’ were planned in a total of 14 cities across North America under the direction of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Guided by TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy, ‘Kalyanam’ events have been successfully organized in three (03) locations in Canada and four (04) locations in the USA so far, with TTD priests and Vedic pundits meticulously performing ‘Punyahavachanam’, ‘Viswaksena Aaradhana’, ‘Ankurarpana’, ‘Mahasankalpam’, ‘Kanyadanam’, ‘Mangalyadharana’, ‘Vaarana Mayiram’, and ‘Harathi’ rituals in accordance with the sacred ‘Kalyanotsava Kratuvu’.
He further revealed that TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy will grace several upcoming ‘Kalyanam’ events scheduled to be held at seven (07) more locations in the USA from July 1 to 23.
