Navaratri Brahmotsavams starts with low pilgrim turnout at Tirumala

TIRUPATI: The Navaratri Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara began with a low pilgrim turnout at Tirumala on Sunday.

The 9-day festival's proceedings began with the Tiruchi utsavam and concluded with the Pedda Sesha vahanam.

The annual Brahmotsavams at Tirumala which used to be a grand gala affair which attracts a huge pilgrim footfall every year, has been witnessing very low pilgrim footfall during the last two years.

While the annual Brahmotsavams at Tirumala attracted a pilgrim turnout of more than 7 lakh devotees in 2019, the pilgrim footfall for the same annual festival dropped down to 5.5 lakh this year as well as last year.

Though the Dussehra holidays have set in across the country, the pilgrim crowd at Tirumala remained paltry on the very first day of the Navaratri Brahmotsavams.