The 11 silk umbrellas that are a hallmark of the Tirumala temple processions arrived in Tirupati from Chennai on Thursday, September 17, 2026, continuing a tradition that spans decades. The Hindu Dharmartha Samithi Trust, which organizes the annual Tirupati Thirukkudai Utsavam procession, presented the milk‑white umbrellas to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) as part of the Brahmotsavams celebrations.
The umbrellas were first offered in a special prayer at the Sri Chennakesava Perumal temple in the Pookkadai area of north Chennai. Raghuvarendra Theertha Swami of Sri Bhimanakatte Math in Karnataka flagged off the procession in the presence of the trust’s representative, R.R. Gopalji. Tamil Nadu’s long‑cherished connection to the Tirumala Brahmotsavams is also reflected in the garland carried from Srivilliputtur to adorn the processional deity, Lord Malayappa Swamy.
As the procession moved through N.S.C. Bose Road, Ayanavaram, Villivakkam, Padi, Pattabhiram and Tiruninravur, thousands of devotees gathered on the roadside to offer arati. Beyond the city’s outskirts, villages in Tiruvallur district received a grand reception, with several hundred people joining the march and chanting “Govinda, Govinda…” The nine umbrellas destined for the Garuda Seva procession on Saturday were taken up the ghat road in a sealed van, while the remaining two were handed to the Sri Padmavati Ammavari temple in Tiruchanur for use during the Kartheeka Brahmotsavams in November.
Security for the umbrellas has been tight since 2013, when the extremist group Al Umma targeted the procession in what became known as Operation Puttur. Two men were arrested on the Chennai‑Tirupati highway in Puttur for plotting to plant bombs in the umbrellas, and Tamil Nadu police later apprehended Fakruddin, then on the most‑wanted list. On Friday, September 18, the umbrellas were thoroughly screened by TTD security at Alipiri, the foot of the Tirumala hills, before being handed over to officials.
