Goddess Padmavati rides ‘Pedda Sesha Vahanam’ at Tiruchanur temple on the second day of Kartheeka Brahmotsavams

On the second day of the nine-day annual ‘Kartheeka Brahmotsavams’ at the Tiruchanur temple, the idol of Goddess Padmavati Ammavaru was carried on the ‘Pedda Sesha Vahanam,’ which resembles a seven-hooded serpent. The procession took place around the temple complex on Tuesday.

The Goddess was adorned in the form of ‘Paramapadhanatha’ or ‘Vaikunthanatha,’ a manifestation considered the supreme deity in the Hindu pantheon, who grants ‘Moksha’ (liberation) to devotees who surrender to the divine. Seated beneath the protective canopy of the serpent Adisesha’s hoods, the deity offered blessings to the multitude of devotees who had gathered for the festive event. In a distinct posture, Padmavati held the holy discus and conch in her upper hands, a mace in her third hand, and rested her fourth hand regally upon her knee.

Despite the continuous rain, cultural troupes featuring artistes performed Kolatam, Chekka Bhajana, and played various musical instruments, leading the procession. Women of Tiruchanur participated enthusiastically, offering camphor ‘harathi’ (a form of worship) as the procession arrived at their homes.

Hamsa Vahanam

Later in the evening, the deity was carried on the ‘Hamsa Vahanam,’ which is shaped like a swan. In Hindu mythology, the swan is an emblem of intellect and wisdom, symbolizing the power of discernment—its fabled ability to separate milk from water. Consequently, witnessing the procession on the ‘Hamsa Vahanam’ is believed to bestow knowledge upon the observer.