Vasanthotsavam is the spring festival seva at Tirumala, a three-day celebration held in the Vasanta season (around March to May, in the lunar month of Chaitra or Vaisakha). The processional deity Malayappa Swamy, with Sridevi and Bhudevi, is taken to the Vasantha Mandapam and worshipped with snanam (ritual bathing), abhishekam and special offerings amid spring flowers. It is performed both at Tirumala and for Goddess Padmavathi at Tiruchanur, where it has been held from late April into early May. Exact dates shift each year by the panchang, so confirm them on tirumala.org and news.tirumala.org.
What Vasanthotsavam celebrates
Vasantha means spring, and the utsavam marks the arrival of the season with worship of the Lord in the flower-filled Vasantha Mandapam. The festival is believed to date back several centuries and is associated with the Vijayanagara period, when many of Tirumala’s festival traditions were formalised. Over three days the utsava murti is bathed, decorated and offered seasonal fruit and flowers, with Vedic recitation and music. It is a gentler, more aesthetic festival than the grand autumn Brahmotsavam.
When it is held
- Season: spring, generally March to May, in the lunar month of Chaitra or Vaisakha.
- Duration: three days.
- At Tiruchanur: the Vasanthotsavam of Goddess Sri Padmavathi Ammavaru has been celebrated from around 30 April to 2 May in a recent year.
- Venue at Tirumala: the Vasantha Mandapam within the temple complex.
Because the dates follow the lunar calendar, they move by a couple of weeks year to year. The exact 2026 and 2027 dates are announced by TTD ahead of the season, so the festival calendar on the official site is the source to check.
The rituals over three days
The festival typically opens with the customary preliminaries, after which the processional deities are brought to the Vasantha Mandapam each day for snapana tirumanjanam, the ceremonial bathing, followed by abhishekam with sacred substances, alankaram and naivedyam. Spring flowers and cooling offerings feature throughout, in keeping with the season. On the concluding day the deities are taken back in procession after the final worship.
Can devotees participate?
Vasanthotsavam is also offered as a bookable Arjitha utsava seva on the processional deity, alongside Kalyanotsavam and Sahasra Deepalankarana. The quota is released online and tends to be limited during the festival days themselves. Pilgrims who do not book the seva can still witness the processions and the mandapam worship as part of general darshan during the festival, subject to crowd arrangements.
For what it’s worth, Vasanthotsavam is one of the more pleasant times to visit Tirumala for the festival atmosphere without the crush of Brahmotsavam, since the spring crowds are smaller than the autumn peak, and the flower-heavy decoration of the season is genuinely lovely to watch.
How to book the seva
The Vasanthotsavam Arjitha seva is allotted online through ttdevasthanams.ap.gov.in, with the quota released in the monthly batch and the utsava sevas usually opening the day after the morning-seva release. Log in, select Vasanthotsavam and the date, enter participant details, and pay to confirm. Carry the photo ID used at booking, and check news.tirumala.org for the festival schedule so you book the right dates.
Common questions
When is Vasanthotsavam held at Tirumala?
In spring, generally between March and May, in the lunar month of Chaitra or Vaisakha, over three days. The exact dates shift each year by the panchang. At Tiruchanur, the Padmavathi Vasanthotsavam has run from around 30 April to 2 May in a recent year. Check the TTD festival calendar for the current year’s dates.
How long does the festival last?
Vasanthotsavam is a three-day festival. The processional deities are brought to the Vasantha Mandapam each day for bathing, abhishekam and worship, with the concluding procession on the final day. The compact three-day format makes it easier to plan a visit around than the nine-day Brahmotsavam.
Can I book Vasanthotsavam as a seva?
Yes. It is offered as an Arjitha utsava seva on the processional deity, booked online through the TTD portal, with a limited quota during the festival. Pilgrims who do not get the seva can still witness the processions and mandapam worship during general darshan, subject to the crowd arrangements for those days.
Is Vasanthotsavam the same as Brahmotsavam?
No. Brahmotsavam is the grand nine-day autumn festival with the vahana processions. Vasanthotsavam is a separate three-day spring festival focused on the Vasantha Mandapam worship and seasonal offerings. The spring festival is smaller and gentler, with lighter crowds than the autumn peak.
A limitation worth noting
One limitation worth noting: the Vasanthotsavam dates move every year with the lunar calendar, and the Tiruchanur dates differ from the Tirumala ones. The late-April window cited here is from a recent year and is not a fixed date. The seva quota and any participation arrangements are set by TTD for each season. Verify the current year’s festival dates and seva booking on tirumala.org and news.tirumala.org before you plan.
References: the TTD annual sevas page on tirumala.org, the festival notices on news.tirumala.org, and the TTD booking portal.
