Brahmostavams to begin on Oct 5

The nine-day Brahmotsavam festivals at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara, which attracts lakhs of devotees from all across the country, will get underway from October 5.
Temple sources said the festivals would begin on Saturday evening with the hoisting of sacred 'Garuda' flag atop the golden 'Dwajasthambham' (flag mast) by high priests.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kirankumar Reddy is likely to offer a set of new silk clothes on behalf of the state government on the commencement of the mega sacred spectacle, they said.
The most auspicious event 'Garudaseva' procession of the Lord- would take place on October 9 while the mega chariot procession would be on October 12 on the penultimate day of the festival, they said.

As part of special arrangements, dozens of huge cutouts of electrical illuminations depicting Hindu mythological forms are also being erected at several places on the hills, they said.
A thick security blanket is being put in place at Tirumala, including regulating vehicular traffic and the stairway leading to the hills from Tirupati, they added.