Vaikunta Ekadashi - 2009.

Today, 28^th December ’09 is Vaikunta Ekadashi a very auspicious day for us. My eldest son Srikanth along with his friends Venugopal and Praveen Kumar passed through Vaikunta Dwaram at Tirumala and had Darshan of Lord Venkateshwaraswamy today morning at about 4:30 A.M. This is the third year in succession that my son and his friends have had the good fortune of passing through Vaikunta Dwaram and have the Lord’s Darshan. This is the only time in a year when the Vaikunta Dwaram is opened. It is kept open on Ekadashi and the next day - Dwadashi but passing through this gate on Ekadashi is of great significance. ‘Vaikunta Dwaram’ means ‘Door to Heaven’. It is believed that anyone who passes through Vaikunta Dwaram on Vaikunta Ekadashi is richly blessed and attains salvation.

My son and his friends reached Tirupati on 27^th morning and soon afterwards trekked the Seven Hills in four hours to reach Tirumala the abode of Lord Venkateshwaraswamy. This is the fifth time that my son has trekked the Seven Hills. The first time he climbed the Seven Hills was when 19 members of our family visited Tirumala. I and six others went up the Hills by Taxis along with all the luggage while twelve others including my wife and sons Srikanth and Srinath trekked. The children had a trekking competition and Srikanth reached Tirumala within 2 & ½ hours. The others followed with the last members reaching in 6 hours.

At Tirumala and every Temple of Lord Vishnu in South India, today is an auspicious day. Devotees visit temples in very large numbers and pass through the Vaikunta Dwaram at these Temples to have Darshan and seek blessings of GOD.