Tirumala Deepavali Asthanam on November 8; TTD cancels Kalyanotsavam, other sevas

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will hold the Deepavali Asthanam at the Srivari temple in Tirumala on Sunday, November 8, 2026, between 7 am and 9 am, according to the temple's schedule. On that day TTD has cancelled its arjitha (paid) sevas, both in-person and virtual, including Kalyanotsavam, Unjal Seva and Arjitha Brahmotsavam. In the evening, the processional deity Sri Malayappa Swamy, with Sridevi and Bhudevi, will take part in the Sahasra Deepalankarana Seva at 5 pm and then go round the four Mada streets around the temple.

An asthanam is a formal court assembly held in the temple in the presence of the deity, a ceremony marked on major festivals at Tirumala. The Deepavali Asthanam brings the festival of lights into the temple's own calendar of rituals, held in the morning hours before the day's regular darshan flow takes over. For the many devotees who plan trips to Tirumala around festivals, knowing the exact timing and which services are suspended is essential.

The cancellation of arjitha sevas is the practical point for pilgrims. Arjitha sevas are paid services that devotees book in advance, such as Kalyanotsavam, a ritual celestial wedding of the deity performed for devotees, and Unjal Seva, in which the deities are placed on a swing. TTD has also suspended them on other major festival days this year, such as during the annual Brahmotsavam. Anyone who had hoped to book one of these sevas for Deepavali day will need to choose another date. Devotees who book virtual sevas, watched online, are affected too, since those have also been cancelled for the day.

The evening Sahasra Deepalankarana Seva, which goes ahead as usual, is closely tied to the theme of the festival. "Sahasra" means a thousand and "deepa" means lamp; in this seva the deity is seated amid rows of lit lamps before being taken out in procession. On Deepavali, that evening procession around the Mada streets is the moment most visitors can see without a seva ticket.

Deepavali falls on November 8 this year in most calendars, and the Tirumala schedule follows the same date. For devotees elsewhere, the TTD schedule shows how the festival is observed through the temple's own rituals at one of the country's most visited shrines.

Short-term: Devotees with plans to visit Tirumala on November 8 should expect festival crowds, no arjitha sevas that day, and the main ritual windows at 7 am to 9 am and from 5 pm.

Long-term: TTD's practice of suspending paid sevas on festival days is part of a wider effort to manage heavy crowds at the hill shrine during the festival season.

Who is affected: Pilgrims who had planned to book arjitha sevas on November 8; devotees who follow virtual sevas online; and visitors to Tirumala during the Deepavali weekend.

Questions and Answers