Holy Pilgrimage – AP State –( Tirupati ) at 10:41 PM

  

Holy Pilgrimage – Andhra Pradesh  State  

83. Tirupati

Tirupati is a major pilgrimage and cultural city in the Chittoor district. It is the largest city in the Rayalaseema region of the Indian state Andhra Pradesh. It is located at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats, 550 kilometres (340 mi) south of Hyderabad, the capital of the state, 250 kilometres (160 mi) east of Bangalore, 65 kilometres (40 mi) from Chittoor, and 150 kilometres (93 mi) north of Chennai.
Tirupati is famous for the richest temple Venkateswara Swamy temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north west of Tirupati in the Tirumala hills at an elevation of 853 metres (2,799 ft). One of the most important pilgrimage centers in the World, the temple draws millions of pilgrims and is the busiest pilgrimage centre in the world.^[2] Tirupati City itself has several temples and is famous for its red wooden toys, copper and brass idols. Also, the city is a major economical and educational hub in the southern region of the state.

History

The Tirumala hills are the world's second oldest rock mountains.
There is no clear history on the origin of the temple of Lord Venkateshwara, but it was maintained and upgraded by various kingdoms. These include the Pallava Kingdom around 9th Century AD, Chola Kingdom around 10th century AD and the latest one being Vijayanagara Empire around 14th to 15th century AD. It was during the rule of Vijayanagara Empire that the temple received increased contributions.^[3]
The site was an established center of Vaishnavism around 5th century A.D. during which Tirupati was praised by Alvars (Vaishnava saints); belonging to the Bhakti movement in Dravidian Land, who were known for their poems and literary works on Lord Venkateswara. Tirupati's significance in Southern Vaishnava tradition is next only to Srirangam, and the temple rites were formalized by the Vaishnavite saint Ramanujacharya himself, in the 11th century AD.^[4][5]
Tirupati survived the Muslim invasions not only from South India but also from the British two times, unlike other temples such as the Meenakshi temple in Madurai and Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam. It is believed that during the invasions the deity of Sriranganatha from Srirangam was brought to Tirupati for safekeeping. To commemorate this event, a hall in Tirupati is still known as the Ranganatha Mandapam.
Tirupathi is the one of the most protected shrines in the world.
The Madras legislature passed a special act in 1933 whereby the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) committee was invested with powers of administration and control through a commissioner appointed by the Government of Madras. A Ryot Advisory Council was formed for the management of the estates of the TTD, and was assisted by a Religious Advisory Council with regard to religious matters.^{[citation needed]}
The first establishment of the City was near Kotturu, today's K.T. Road area. Later it was shifted near the temple of Govindaraja Swamy with the temple as the center of the city. It is today's railway station area. Now the city is expanded to nearby areas.

Festivals

The town celebrates most Vaishnava festivals including Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and Janmashtami with great splendor, while the Brahmotsavam celebrated every year during September is the most important festival in Tirumala when it receives millions of devotees over a short span of a week. Rathasapthami (Magha Shuddha Saptami) is another festival, celebrated during February, when Lord Venkateswara's idol is taken in a procession around the temple chariots.^[10]
Gangamma Jathra is also celebrated as a major local festival. The Goddess Gangamma is offered animal sacrifices and also pongal and other offerings by the devotees. She is considered the sister of Lord Govinda.^{[citation needed]}

Tourist attractions

Religious sites

• Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Venkateswara (also known as Balaji and Srinivasa) attracts followers from a wide range of Hindu traditions.
• Alamelu Mangamma Shrine in Alamelumangapuram also called Thiruchanoor
• Padmavati Temple
• Govindaraja Swamy Temple
• Kodanda Rama Swamy Temple: Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are the presiding deities of the temple. Lord Anjaneya Swamy is seen near the foot of Lord Rama. The temple is in the heart of the city. There is also another temple dedicated to Lord Anjaneya Swamy opposite to Kodhanda Rama Swamy Temple. Prasadams are offered daily to pilgrims.
• Srinivasa Mangapuram:This temple is dedicated to Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy (married Venkateswara Swamy). According to the mythology, Venkateswara swamy, after getting married, stayed in this place for about six months and then walked to Tirumala.
• Kapila Theertham: This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati. There is a beautiful waterfall near the temple.
• ISKCON Lord Krishna Temple – The temple has its own style of architecture with the towers coloured in gold and white. The carvings of Lord Narasimha Swamy, Lord Varaha Swamy and Krishna Leela are marvelous. Glass painting works on the windows depicting Lord Krishna's playful acts and the ceilings decorated like Tanjore art reveals the colourful masterpiece in art work. Each pillar is decorated with ten avatars of Lord Vishnu. The temple inside the sanctum has Lord Krishna with beautifully dressed Gopis. There is a beautiful park surrounded with lot of flowers, ponds, fountains and with Krishna Leela idols. The temple is on the way to Tirumala Hills.
• Lord Shiva temple at Yogimallavaram, near to Tirupati is very old and is very famous.
• Hanuman temple at Tirumala is where Hanuman's mother Anjana did penance.
• Avanakshamma temple – 42 km from Tirupati
• Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple in Karvetinagaram, 40 km from Tirupati
• Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple – Narayanavanam, 48 km from Tirupati
• Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy Temple – Appalayagunta, 20 km from Tirupati
• Parasurameswara Temple – Gudimallam, 20 km from Tirupati. Though a small village, historically it is very important, because it has a beautiful Siva Temple which is popularly known as "the Parasurameswara Temple." The main importance of the temple lies in the Linga which is housed in the Garbhagriha of the temple. This is supposed to be the earliest Linga discovered so far and it has been assigned to the 2nd or 1st century BC. The name of the temple is mentioned as Parasurameswara Temple in the inscriptions.

There is also another small temple for Lord Vishnu. The place is on the foothills of Tirumala. Giant Nandikeshwara statue is seen at the entrance of the temple. There is a rock garden in Tirumala called Shilatoranam.

Other

• Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park is the second of its kind in the Andhra Pradesh. It has many species of animals and plants which are being conserved. Nearly 10 to 15 tigers are present in this zoo.^{[citation needed]}
• Regional Science Center is a science center with a planetarium.

SV Zoological park is the Second largest zoo park in Asia. 

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is a Hindu temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is around 600 km (370 mi)^[2] from Hyderabad, 138 km (86 mi) ^[3] from Chennai and 291 km (181 mi) ^[4] from Bangalore.
The Tirumala Hill is 853m above sea level and is about 10.33 square miles (27 km²) in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Adisesha, thus earning the name Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri. The temple is on Venkatadri (also known as Venkatachala or Venkata Hill), the seventh peak, and is also known as the "Temple of Seven Hills". The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Venkateswara, a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is known by other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa.^[5] The temple lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank. The temple complex comprises a traditional temple building, with a number of modern queue and pilgrim lodging sites.
The temple is the richest pilgrimage center, after the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, of any faith (at more than 50,000 crore^[6][7]) and the most-visited place of worship in the world.^[8][9][10] The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily (30 to 40 million people annually on average), while on special occasions and festivals, like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000, making it the most-visited holy place in the world.^[11]
There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord in Tirumala. According to one legend, the temple has a murti (deity) of Lord Venkateswara, which it is believed shall remain here for the entire duration of the present Kali Yuga.

Etymology

Tiru means 'Holy' or 'Sacred' and mala means hills/mountain in Dravidian languages. Therefore it translates as Holy mountains.

History of the temple

Medieval history

Tirumala was under the rule of the Vijayanagara emperors, during which time the temple's assets were accumulated.^[12][13] Coronation ceremonies of the emperors were also held at Tirupati. In 1517 Krishnadevaraya, on one of his many visits to the temple, donated gold and jewels. It enabled the Vimana (inner shrine) and the roofing to be plated with gold. The Maratha general Raghoji Bhonsle set up a permanent administration for the conduct of worship in the temple. The rulers of Mysore and Gadwal endowed large gifts to the temple.
The Pallavas of Kanchipuram (9th century AD), the Cholas of Tanjore (10th century), and Vijayanagara pradhans (14th and 15th centuries) were committed devotees of Lord Venkateswara. During the invasion of Srirangam by Malik Kafur in 1310-11 AD, the Ranga Mandapam of the temple served as the shelter for the presiding deity of Srirangam, Ranganatha Swamy. Later, under the rule of the Vijayanagara emperors, was when the temple gained most of its current wealth and size, with the donation of diamonds and gold.^[12] In 1517 Vijayanagara ruler Sri Krishna Deva Raya, on one of his many visits to the temple, donated gold and jewels, enabling the Vimana (inner shrine) roofing to be gilded. Statues of Sri Krishna Deva Raya and his spouse stand in the premises of the temple. After the decline of Vijayanagara Empire, kings from states such as Mysore and Gadwal worshiped as pilgrims and gave ornaments and valuables to the temple. Maratha general Raghoji I Bhonsle (died 1755) visited the temple and set up a permanent administration for the conduct of worship in the temple.^[14] There is an idol of Raja Todar Mal who was the revenue minister of Akbar, greeting pilgrims in the premises of the temple.

Modern history

In 1843, with the coming of the Madras Presidency, the administration of the Sri Venkateswara Temple and a number of shrines was entrusted to Seva Dossji of the Hathiramji Mutt at Tirumala as Vicaranakarta for nearly a century until the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was established as a result of the TTD Act in 1932.
After independence Andhra state was created on linguistic grounds, wherein Tirupati which had and still has a majority of Telugu speaking population was assigned by Govt. of India, integrating it as part of Andhra.
TTD is operated by a Board of Trustees that has increased in size from five (1951) to fifteen (1987) through the adoption of Acts. The daily operation and management of TTD is the responsibility of an executive officer who is appointed by the government of Andhra Pradesh.
The temple attracts approximately 75,000 pilgrims every day.^[15] The annual budget, estimated at Rs 10 billion in 2008, iferer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wD runs charitable trusts whose funds are derived from the budget and donations from the devotees.^[16]

Temple today

See also: Establishment and legislative setting of TTD

TTD is operated by a Board of Trustees, and has increased in size through adoption of various Acts from five in 1951 to fifteen in 1987. The operations and management of TTD is the responsibility of an Executive Officer (EO), who is appointed by the government of Andhra Pradesh.
The temple attracts, on an average of approximately 60,000 pilgrims every day.^[17] The popularity of the temple can be judged by its annual budget. The annual income is estimated at INR 10 billion in 2008. Most of its income is derived from the donations. Devotees donate to the TTD, which runs into the millions of rupees. TTD, the organisation running the welfare of the temple, runs various charitable trusts, whose funds are derived from the budget, and donations from the devotees.^[18]

Songs and hymns

The outpouring divine grace of Sri Balaji inspired Tallapaka Annamacharya to sing His glories in Telugu and in Sanskrit. Of the 32000 songs composed by him, only 12000 are available. Keertanas like 'Brahma Kadigina Paadamu' and 'Adivo Alladivo Sriharivaasamu' are popular even today.
Purandaradasa was another who composed thousands of songs regarding Lord Venkateshwara. Only a few hundred of his songs are available. 'Daasana Maadiko Enna', 'Nambide Ninna Paadava Venkataramana' are worthy of mention.
Ramabhakta and Sri Tyagaraja (writer of over 4000 songs), were also among the devotees of Lord Venkateshwara. 'Tera Teeyagarada', 'Venkatesa! Ninnu Sevimpanu' are among his well-known Keertanas on the Lord Venkateshwara.

Vimanam

The vimanam is a monumental tower with a golden roof. Its inner temple or vimanam houses the main deity, Lord Sri Venkateswara. The deity stands directly beneath a gilt dome called the Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana. This exquisitely wrought deity, called the Mulaberam, is believed to be self-manifested, and no human being is known to have installed it in the shrine. The Lord wears a gold crown with a large emerald embedded in the front. On special occasions, he is adorned with a diamond crown. The Lord has a thick double tilaka drawn on his forehead, which screens his eyes. His ears are decorated with golden earrings. His right hand is raised in a fist, which is decorated with a gem-set chakra; the left fist contains a Shankha (conch shell). The front right hand has its fingers pointing to his feet. His front left hand is akimbo. His body is dressed with yellow clothing tied with gold string and a gold belt with gold bells. He has a yajnopavita (sacred thread) flowing down crosswise from his left shoulder. He bears Sri Lakshmi Devi on his right chest and Sri Padmavathi Devi on his left chest. His feet are covered with gold frames and decked with gold anklets. A curved gold belt encompasses his legs. The Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana was covered with gilt copper plates and surmounted with a golden vase in the 13th century, during the reign of the Vijayanagara king Yadava Raya.The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatachala (Venkata Hill) of the Tirupati Hill, and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini.
It is by the Lord’s presidency over Venkatachala, that He has received the appellation, Venkateswara (Lord of the Venkata Hill). He is also called the Lord of the Seven Hills.
The temple of Sri Venkateswara has acquired unique sanctity in Indian religious lore. The Sastras, Puranas, Sthala Mahatyams and Alwar hymns unequivocally declare that, in the Kali Yuga, one can attain mukti, only by worshipping Venkata Nayaka or Sri Venkateswara.
The benefits acquired by a piligrimage to Venkatachala are mentioned in the Rig Veda and Asthadasa Puranas. In these epics, Sri Venkateswara is described as the great bestower of boons. There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord at Tirumala.
The temple has its origins in Vaishnavism, an ancient sect which advocates the principles of equality and love, and prohibits animal sacrifice.
The sanctum sanctorum which houses the awe-inspiring idol of the Lord of the Seven Hills is situated in the main temple complex of Tirumala.

Bangaru Vakili

^[19]
From the Tirumamani Mandapam, one can enter the Bangaru Vakili (Meaning Golden Corridor in Telugu) to reach the inner sanctum sanctorum. There are two tall copper images of the dwarapalakas Jaya and Vijaya on either side of the door. The thick wooden door is covered with gilt plates depicting the dasavataram of Sri Maha Vishnu.
The doorway is directly in line with the Padi Kavali and the Vendi Vakili(Meaning Silver Corridor in Telugu). It admits pilgrims to the Snapana Mandapam.
Suprabhatam is sung in front of this door.

Garbha Griha

The Garbhagriha or sanctum is where the idol of Lord Sri Venkateswara is placed. The idol stands majestically in the Garbha Griha, directly beneath a gilt-dome called the "Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana".
This idol, called the Mulaberam, is believed to be self-manifested. As there is no known sculptor possessing the capability to sculpt idols of god so proportionately. Further, no human being is known to have installed it in the shrine.^{[citation needed]}
The idol of the Lord wears a gold crown (Kiritam), which has a large emerald embedded on its front. On special occasions, it is replaced with a diamond kiritam. On the forehead of the idol, two thick patchs of tilak drawn with refined camphor, almost covers the eyes of the idol. In between the two white patches is a Kasturitilakam.
Golden makara kundalas hang to the ears of the idol. The palm of its raised right hand is embedded with a gem-set Sudershana Chakra, and the left palm with the Holy Cone. The slightly outstretched front right hand, has its fingers pointing toward the feet, as if Lord is the only recourse to his devotees to dissolve in him and enjoy eternal bliss. The akimbo of the front left hand implies lord's protection to devotees, and to show that the Samsara Sagara (Ocean of Life) is never deeper than to hip's height, if they seek his refuge.
The body of the Idol is spun with a Gold-stringed-Pitambaram, with a belt of golden-bells. The idol is decorated with precious ornaments. It has a sacred thread flowing down, cross from the left shoulder. It bears Goddess Lakshmi on the right chest and Sri Padmavathi Devi on the left. Nagaabharanam ornaments are on both of the idol's shoulders.The lotus feet are covered with gold frames and decked with clinging gold anklets. A strong curved belt of gold encompasses the legs. During Abhishekam, we can have darshan of Goddess Lakshmi.
The Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana was covered with gilt copper plates and covered with a golden vase, in the thirteenth century, during the reign of the Vijayanagara king, Yadava Raya.
Pilgrims are not allowed to enter the Garbha Gruha (beyond Kulasekhara padi (path)).

Ramanuja

Ramanuja [Tamil:Ilaya Perumal] born in a Brahmin family in the village of Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, was the architect of Tirupati and the father of the Sri Vaishnava community there. He designed the flower gardens of the temple. He was responsible for managing the worship procedures and other affairs of the Sri Venkateswara temple. His shrine was built around the 13th century. It overlooks the western end of the Tirumamani Mandapam. There are two tall copper images of the Dvarapalas (door guardians) Jaya and Vijaya on either side of the door. The door is covered with gilt plates depicting the Dashavatara of Sri Maha Vishnu. The doorway is directly in line with the Padi Kavali and the Vendi Vakili. It admits pilgrims to the Snapana Mandapam. Suprabhatam is sung in front of this door. The right hand of the stone image of Ramanuja is held in the gesture of exposition (vyakhyana mudra), and the left hand in the form of boon bestowal (varada hasta) or of holding a book (pustaka hasta). The shrine figures prominently during the festival of Adhyayanotsavam, which is a typical Pancharatra observance. Special worship is conducted in this shrine during Gandhapodi Utsavam and Bhashyakara Utsavam. The presiding deity of Ramanuja is taken in a grand procession to meet Malayappa near the Padi Kavali.
Jeeyar Mattam was established by Ramanuja, with the call of the Divine that made today's Chinna Jeeyar Swamy the young Srimannarayana Ramanujacharyulu to take up the ascetic order of JEEYAR(Lion) at a very young age of 23 years. He is reckoned very high among the monks of the India and abroad as the pioneer and Crusader of Peace.

Annamacharya

Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya (Telugu: శ్రీ తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య) (or Annamayya) (May 9, 1408 – February 23, 1503) was the official songmaster of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, and a Telugu composer who composed around 36000 keertana songs, many of which were in praise of Venkateswara, the presiding deity of the temple. The musical form of the keertana songs that he composed have strongly influenced the structure of Carnatic music compositions, which are still popular among Carnatic music concert artists. Sri Annamacharya is remembered for his saintly life, and is honoured as a great Bhakta/devotee of Bhagwaan Govinda by devotees and saintly singers. He is widely regarded as the Pada-kavita Pitaamaha (grand old man of song-writing) of the Telugu language.
Annamacharya is said to have composed as many as 36,000 sankeertanas (songs) on Bhagwaan Govinda Venkateswara, of which only about 12,000 are available today. Annamacharya considered his compositions as floral offerings to Bhagwaan Govinda. In the poems, he praises Venkateswara, describes his love for him, argues and quarrels with the Lord, confesses the devotee's failures and apprehensions, and surrenders himself to Venkateshwara. His songs are classified into the Adhyaatma (spiritual) and Sringaara (romantic) sankeertanas genres. His songs in the "Sringaara" genre worship Bhagwaan Venkateswara by describing his amorous and romantic adventures of Venkateswara and Alamel Manga, while others describe the Bhakti of his devotees. In his later keertanas, he espouses subjects such as morality, dharma and righteousness. He was one of the first few who opposed the social stigma towards the untouchable castes in his era, with his sankeertanas explaining that the relationship between God and human is the same irrespective of the latters' color, caste and financial status, in beautiful yet powerful usage of words in his songs "Brahmam Okkate Parabrahmam Okkate..." and "E Kulajudainanemi Evvadainanemi..." His choice of words gives a mellifluous tone to his songs, charming the listener. His prodigious literary career earned him a place among the all-time greats of Telugu literature.

Tarikonda Venkamamba

Tarikonda Venkamamba (Telugu: తరిగొండ వెంకమాంబ; alternate spelling: Vengamamba, born 1730) was a poetess and staunch devotee of Lord Venkateswara in the 18th century. She wrote numerous poems and songs. Her first poem was Tarikonda Nrusimha Satakam and it was followed by Nrusimha Vilasa Katha, Siva Natakam and Balakrishna Natakam as Yakshaganam and Rajayogamrutha Saram, a Dwipada Kavyam. These works were completed when she was in Tarikonda. On her return to Tirumala from Tumburakona caves, Venkamamba composed Vishnu Parijatham, Chenchu Natakam, Rukmini Natakam and Jala Krida Vilasam and Mukthi Kanthi Vilasam (all Yaksha Ganams), Gopi Natakam (Golla Kalapam-Yakshaganam), Rama Parinayam, Sri Bhagavatham, Sri Krishna Manjari, Tatva Keerthanalu and Vashista Ramayanam (Dwipada), Sri Venkataachala Mahatyam (Padya Prabhandam) and Ashtanga Yoga,Saram (Padyakruthi).

Tyagaraja

Kakarla Tyagabrahmam (Telugu: త్యాగరాజు) (May 4, 1767–January 6, 1847), colloquially known as Tyāgarājar and Tyagayya, was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or classical South Indian music. He, along with his contemporaries Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastry, forms the Trinity of Carnatic music. He was a prolific composer and highly influential in the development of the South Indian classical music tradition. Tyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions, most of them in praise of Lord Rama — most of which remain very popular even today. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pancharatna Krithis (English: 'five gems'), which are often sung in programs in his honor.
His compositions in praise of Lord Venkateswara include - Tirupati Venkateswara Krithis

Deities in the temple

1. Moolavirat or Dhruva Beram — The main stone deity of Lord Venkateshwara is called Dhruva Beram (beram means "deity", and dhruva means "pole star" or "fixed"). The deity is about 8 feet (2.4 m) from the toes to the top of the crown and is considered the main source of energy for the temple.
2. Kautuka Beram or Bhoga Srinivasa — This is a tiny one-foot (0.3 m) silver deity, which was given to the temple in 614 AD by Pallava Queen Samavai Perindevi, and has never been removed from the temple from the day it was installed. This deity is popularly known as Bhoga Srinivasa, because it enjoys all the Bhoga (worldly pleasures) which the Moolavirat has. This deity sleeps in a golden cot every night and receives Sahasra Kalashabishekam every Wednesday. This deity is always placed near the left foot of Moolavirat and is always connected to the main deity by a holy Sambandha Kroocha. The deity is always faced at an angle of 45 degrees towards the devotees, because it holds a Prayoga ("ready to strike") Chakra.
3. Snapana Beram or Ugra Srinivasa — This idol of the Lord represents the anger part of Lord Venkateshwara. He remains inside the sanctum sanctorum, and comes out on only one day each year: on Kaishika Dwadasi, before the sunrise. Snapana means "cleansing". The idol is cleansed daily with holy waters, milk, curds, ghee, sandalwood paste, turmeric, and so on

1. Utsava Beram — This is the form of the Lord which comes out of the temple to see the devotees. This deity is also called Malayappa, and its consorts are Sridevi and Bhudevi. These three deities were found in a cave called Malayappan Konai in the holy Tirumala Hills. Originally Ugra Srinivasa was the Utsava Beram (the procession deity), and frequently disastrous fires were happening whenever the deity was taken out for processions. People prayed to the Lord for a solution. The Lord appeared in dreams, and ordered the people to find a suitable set of idols hidden in the Holy Tirumala hills for the Utsavar (procession). The hunt began, and the villagers called the idol they found Malayappa, which means "king of the hills". After these idols were brought to the temple, the number of programmes increased to include Nitya Kalyanaotsavam, Sahasra Deepalankara Seva, Arjita Brahmotsavam, Nityaotsvam, Dolotsavam, and others. Jewels worth millions of rupees have been donated as offerings to these idols.
2. Bali Beram or Koluvu Srinivasa — This panchaloha idol resembles the main deity, and represents the presiding officer for all activities and rituals in the temple. The idol is also called Bali Beram. Koluvu Srinivasa is regarded as the guardian deity of the temple that presides over its financial and economic affairs. Daily offerings are made to the deity, with a presentation of accounts. every year during July i.e. according to Hindu calendar "Dakshinaya Sankaramana" the temple celebrates "Anivar Asthanam" which is the end of the fiscal year.

Worship

The names ascribed to the main deity are Balaji, Srinivasa, Venkateswara,Edukondalavadu(Lord of seven hills in Telugu) and Venkatachalapathyor Venkataramana. The goddess Sri or Lakshmi (Vishnu's consort) resides on the chest of Venkateswara; thus, he is also known by the epithet "Srinivasa" (the one in whom Sri resides). The goddesses Lakshmi and Padmavathi reside on either side of his chest. The deity is considered the Kali yuga varada, that is, 'the boon-granting Lord of Kali yuga'. (Kali yuga is the fourth and final age of the Hindu cycle of ages). The temple is held in particular reverence by the sect who hails from of "Naimisharanya" (north India), known as the Sri Vaikhanasa/ Adhi Vaikhanasas followers of Sri Vikanasa Muni.
For worshippers, the deity Venkateswara symbolises goodness. When people travel to Tirupati, they chant the mantra Yedu Kondala Vada Venkataramana Govinda Govinda (in Telugu) or Om namo narayanaaya or Om Sri Venkatesaya Namah (in Sanskrit). Lord Venkateswara is believed by followers to be a very merciful form of Vishnu, being the fulfiller of every wish made to him by the devotees.
Several composers composed beautiful kirtanas about Lord Venkateswara, the most notable amongst them being Tyagaraja and Annamacharya, who composed mostly in Telugu. Annamacharya (1408–1503) was a legendary devotee of Lord Venkateswara and composed songs almost exclusively about the deity.
Lord Vishnu is worshiped in the Temple as per Vaikhanasa traditions. The ancient texts of the sage Marichi (the Bhagvad Shastram and Vimanarchana Kalpam) state that Lord Vishnu here should be worshipped six times a day.

1. UshaKala Aradhana — worship (or Aradhana) should start and finish before sunrise
2. Prathakala Aradhana — worship should start after sunrise and finish before noon
3. Madhyanika Aradhana — worship should start and finish at noon
4. Aparahana Aradhana — worship should start when the sun starts to descend
5. SandhyaKala Aradhana — worship should start and finish around the sunset
6. Ardharatri Aradhana — worship should start after the horizon is completely dark

All the Aradhana is done by hereditary Vaikhanasa priests, who have performed the services for generations. Only these priests have the right to touch and offer services to the Lord. These set of Archakas are called Mirasidars (owners and shareholders of the temple). The four families of the Tirumala Temple which are in this Mirasi are the Gollapalli, Peddintti, Paidipalli, and Tirupathammagari family.
To assist the Archakas in temple work and rituals,other Vaikhanasa who don't belongs to this family & Jeeyar Mattam established by Ramanuja, would take care of the temple work. Currently Chinna Jeeyar Swamy heads the Jeeyar Mattam established by Ramanuja.

Epigraphical lore of tirupati

This Temple bears on its walls several inscriptions which are of historical, cultural and linguistic importance. The number of inscriptions on the Hill Temple and in the temples of Lower Tirupati and Tiruchanur exceed one thousand and they furnish a continuous and authentic record of the transactions of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams for over seven or eight centuries. We have evidence to believe that many early inscriptions on the walls of the temples have disappeared beyond recovery due to restorations and renovations undertaken from time to time.
As many as 1060 inscriptions are found engraved on the walls of the temples under the management of the Devasthanam. They are published by the T.T, Devasthanams and are classified as follows:

• Sri Venkateswara's Temple, Tirumala : No. of inscriptions. 640
• Sri Govindaraja's Temple, Tirupati : No. of inscriptions. 340
• Other Temples : No. of inscriptions. 80

In addition to the epigraphical lore of the temple there is a unique collection of about 3000 copper plates on which the Telugu Sankirtanas of Tallapaka Annamacharya and his descendants are inscribed. This collection forms a valuable source of material for a historical linguist in Telugu, apart from its importance to musicologists.
Under the patronage of almost all important dynasties of South India, this sacred Temple of Tirumala enjoyed the full benefits and glories. The Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas, Kadavarayas, Yadavarayas, Telugu Cholas, Telugu Pallavas, Vijayanagara kings (Sangama, Saluva and Tuluva lines) have left the marks of their patronage and endowments on the walls of the Temples of Tirumala and Tirupati.^[20]

Temple activities

Prasadam

The world famous Tirupati Laddu is given at Tirumala Temple as prasadam.^[21] Recently the Trust has taken Geographical Indication of Laddu prasaddam, hence, no one can prepare the same Laddu. Many other prasadams are also available including daddojanam (curd rice), pulihora (tamarind rice), vada and chakkera-pongali (sweet pongal), miryala-pongali, Appam, Paayasam, Jilebi, Muruku, Dosa, seera (kesari). Free meals are given daily to the pilgrims. On Thursdays, the Tirupavadai seva occurs, where food items are kept for naivedyam to Lord Srinivasa.

Hair tonsuring

Many devotees have their head tonsured as an offer. The daily amount of hair collected is over a ton.^[22] The hair thus gathered is sold by the temple organization a few times a year by public auction to international buyers for use as hair extensions and in cosmetics,^[23] bringing over $6 million to the temple's treasury.^{[citation needed][22]}
When Lord Balaji was hit on his head by a shepherd, a small portion of his scalp became bald. This is noticed by Neela Devi, a Gandharva princess. She feels "such an attractive face should not have a flaw". Immediately she cuts a portion of her hair and with her magical power she implants it on his scalp. Lord Balaji notices her sacrifice. As hair is a beautiful aspect of the female, he promises her that all his devotees who come to his abode should render their hair to him, and she would be the recipient of all the hair received. Hence it is believed that hair offered by the devotees is accepted by Neela Devi. The hill Neeladri, one among seven hills is named after her.

Hundi (donation pot)

It is believed that Srinivasa had to make arrangements for his wedding. Lord Kubera credited money to the god Venkateshwara (a form of the god Vishnu) for his marriage with Padmavati. Srinivasa sought a loan of one crore and 14 lakh (11,400,000) coins of gold from Kubera and had Viswakarma, the divine architect, create heavenly surroundings in the Seshadri hills. Together, Srinivasa and Padmavathy lived for all eternity while Goddess Lakshmi, understanding the commitments of Lord Vishnu, chose to live in his heart forever. In remembrance of this, devotees go to Tirupati to donate money in Venkateshwara's hundi (donation pot) so that he can pay it back to Kubera. The hundi collections go as high as 22.5 million INR a day.^[8] Devotees offer gold as a token of their love for God. The annual gold offering goes as high as 3000 kg.^[24]

Thulabharam

One of the most important offering in this temple, is the ‘thulabharam.’ In the Thulabaram ritual, a devotee sits on a pan of a weighing balance and the other pan is filled with materials greater than the weight of the devotee. Devotees usually offer sugar, jaggery, tulsi leaves, banana, gold, coins. This is mostly performed with newborn babies or children.

Arjitha seva (paid services)

Pilgrims can view and participate (in a limited fashion) in the various sevas performed to Dhruva bera (main idol), Bhoga Srinivasa, Sri Malayappa swami and other idols in the temple.
When pilgrims purchase arjitha seva tickets, they get the opportunity to see a seva performed to the Lord, obtain prasadam in the form of vastram (clothes), akshantalu (sacred and blessed rice) and food articles (laddus, vadas, dosas, pongal, rice items) and a darshan of the utsava murti.^[25]

The Seven Hills

The seven hills, also called Saptagiri (Telugu: సప్తగిరి), represent the Saptarishi (seven sages). They sometimes called the Sapathagiri. Hence the Lord is named Saptagirinivasa. The following are the seven hills

Language and culture

Telugu is the official language of the City. Tamil is also spoken widely in this city due to its proximity towards Tamil Nadu & Chennai.
Most of the temples in Tirupati have been built using Dravidian architecture. Most of the inscriptions in the temple complex are predominantly in Tamil language and there are also few Telugu language inscriptions. Hinduism is the major religion here. Dhoti(Vetti/Veshti/Panche/Mundu) and Sari(Pudavai) are traditional attire of people here. Although this place is large and roomy, the people leave many lands for auspicious reasons. Dresses like churidar and pants-shirt have become common in recent decades. Practices of tonsure and using tilaka are very popular among devotees of Lord Venkateswara. Songs and prayers of Lord Venkateswara are generally heard all over the town. Near the bus stand, stands the statue of Bharatharatna M.S. Subbulakshmi, a legendary Carnatic singer.

• Vrushabhadri — Hill of Nandi, the vahana of Lord Shiva
• Anjanadri — Hill of Lord Hanuman
• Neeladri — Hill of Neela Devi — It is believed that hair offered by the devotees is accepted by Neela Devi. It is because of boon granted by Lord Venkateswara to Neela Devi.
• Garudadri or Garudachalam — Hill of Garuda, the vahana of Lord Vishnu
• Seshadri or Seshachalam — Hill of Sesha, the dasa of Lord Vishnu
• Naraynadri — Hill of Narada Muni
• Venkatadri — Hill of Lord Venkateswara

Festivals

The town celebrates most Vaishnava festivals, including Vaikuntha Ekadasi, Rama Navami, and Janmashtami with great splendor, while the Brahmotsavam celebrated every year during September is the most important festival in Tirumala. The temple receives millions of devotees over the short span of a week. Other major festivals include Vasanthotsavam (spring festival), conducted in March–April, and Rathasapthami (Magha Shuddha Saptami), celebrated in February, when Lord Venkateswara's deity is taken on procession around the temple chariots.

Nearby temples

Srikalahasti Temple is an ancient temple of Lord Shiva situated on the banks of the River Swarnamukhi.The renowned devotee of Lord Shiva, Kannappa, attained salvation here. This temple is 38 kilometres (24 mi) away from Tirupati, and is connected by frequent buses.
Srinivasa Mangapuram is situated 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Tirupati.This temple houses Lord Venkateswara, also known as Prasanna Venkateswara or Kalyana Venkateswara. Bus connections are available from Tirupati.
Sri Padmavati Devi Alayam (Alamelu Mangapuram), located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of Tirupati, is an important temple which is visited by every pilgrim who visits Tirupati. It is this temple that houses the spouses of the Lord, Sri Padmavathi Devi (Alamelu Mangamma) and Thayaru. According to the legends, the goddess Padmavathi was born in a tank called Pushakarini at this place. The temples of Sri Krishna Swamy and Sri Sundara Raja Swamy are also inside the complex.
Sri Govinda Raja Swami Temple is located in Tirupati near the railway station. The highlight of the temple is its outer pinnacle (Gaali Gopuram), which is visible from a distance. In addition to a shrine to Sri Govinda Raja Swami, the temple complex also houses the shrines of Andal Ammavaru, Sri Krishna, Sri Ramanuja Thirumangai Alwar, Sri Vedanta Desika, Sri Lakshmi, and Sri Manevala Mahamunlu. The Bramhotsavam of Govinda Raja Swami during the month of Vaisakha (May–June) attracts a large number of devotees every year.
Sri Kodanda Rama Swami Temple is also situated in Tirupati. This temple houses the shrines of Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana. The beautiful idols of this temple are famous. Bramhotsavam in this temple takes place in the month of Falgun (March–April).
Sri Kapileswara Swami Temple is the only temple of Lord Shiva in Tirupati. Pilgrims normally proceed to Tirumala for Darshan after taking a customary dip in the temple tank. Located amidst foothills of Tirumala, the place is also known for its waterfalls.
Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swami Temple is located at Narayanavanam, according to legends. Lord Venkateswara courted and married goddess Padmavathi Devi here. Soumyanatha Swami Temple, Soumyanatha Swami is another name and form of Lord Venkateshwara in Nandalur Kadapa District

Famous Shrines

 Vimana is a term for the tower above the Garbhagriha or Sanctum sanctorum in a Hindu temple

The Ananda Nilayam vimanam of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is a famous example where the gopuram of the main shrine occupies a very special place in the temple's history and identity.

 Tiruchanur

Tiruchanur is a locality of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located in the Tirupati (rural) block of the Chittoor district.^[1] Recently, it has been clubbed with the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati and Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) regions. It is also known as Alamelu Mangapuram, after a local temple.

Etymology

Tiruchanur, initially was known as TiruSukanUr, is a combination of three Tamil words Tiru+Sukan+Ur meaning the auspicious (Tiru -- indicates Lakshmi) place (Ur) where Sage Suka Maharishi (Sukan) did his Tapas or penance. In ancient days, this region was part of Thondai. Due to pronunciation change over several hundred years, it is now called by the name Tiruchanur.
Similarly, Goddess Padmavati is also called as AlarMelMangai in Tamil and now commonly as AlaMeluManga [Lady (Mangai) on the top of (Mel) Lotus Flower (Alar)].

History

Under the rule of Pallavas, this formed a part of Tiruvengadakootam and under the Cholas it became a part of Rajendra Cholamandalam. In the eighth century, the village was totally a Srivaishnava settlement. As Lord Venkateswaras temple at Tirumala was not of easy access, a new temple called Tiruvalankoil was constructed at Tiruchanur to house a representative idol of Lord Srinivasa. At the end of ninth century, the place came under the patronage of Cholas. Shaivism gained support and importance consequently, the temple of Lord Shiva was erected at Jogimalleswaram. Again, with the decline of the Chola power and the rise of Yadavarayas, Sri Vaishnavism regained support and temple was constructed for Goddess Padmavathi.

Pilgrimage

Tiruchanur is home to the temple of Sri Alamelu (Padmavati), consort of Sri Venkateshwara. It is believed that the goddess Alamelu, an Avatar of Lakshmi, was born the daughter of Akasha Raja, the ruler of this region, and wed Venkateshwara of Tirupati.
Sri Padmavati is the divine consort of Lord Venkateswara Swamy. As Goddess Padmavati, a manifestation of Goddess Mahalakshmi had risen from Padama mean lotus flower. Goddess Lakshmi gave darshan to Lord Venkateswara on a red Lotus flower in Padma sarovar lake at Tiruchanoor after his deep penance for twelve years.

 

Tiruchanur is located 5 kilometers away from East Railway station and 6 KM from Renigunta Railway Junction and 11 km from the Airport.

Kapila Theertham

The Holy Temple of Kapila Theertham is the only temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in over a 50 mile radius of the holy temple cities of Tirupati and Tirumala that abound with temples of the Vaishnavait Deity Vishnu.
This huge temple stands at the entrance to a mountain cave in one of the steep and vertical faces at the foot of the amazing hills of Tirumala, where the waters of the mountain stream Paapa Vinasanam fall as a huge waterfall.
A huge stone statue of a seated bull "Nandhi", Lord's Shiva's steed, greets devotees and passersby at the entrance to the temple.

Legend

One of the holiest of Hindu saints, Saint Kapila Maharshi, was said to have lived here, worshipped, and meditated in this very cave before the idol of Lord Shiva and hence the name "Kapila theertham", the word "theertham" meaning a holy lake or holy pond that formed due to the waterfalls.

Patronage

Though this temple's significance has diminished due to the hugely popular neighboring Temples in Tirumala and Tiruchanoor, it received very good patronage from the Kings of Vijayanagara in the 13th thru 16th centuries, especially Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, and the eternally famous Sri Krishna Deva Raya, and some of the later rulers like Venkatapathi Raya, and Aliya Ramaraya, sri Krishna Deva Raya's Son-in-law.
Under the able administration of the TTD, this temple receives continued protection and sustainance, annual festivals that are celebrated in a pomp and celebration no lesser in significance than the popular Brahmotsavam of Tirumala on the hilltop.

Sri Venkateswara (Sri Balaji)

Venkateswara (Telugu: వేంకటేశ్వర, వెంకన్న), (Tamil: வெங்கடேஸ்வரா), (Devanagari: वेंकटेश्वर ) also known as Srinivasa, Balaji and Venkatachalapati (Tamil: வெங்கடாசலபதி), is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara means "the Lord who destroys the sins of the people". According to the Hindu scriptures, Vishnu, out of love towards His devotees, incarnated as Venkateswara and appeared for the salvation and upliftment of humanity in this Kali Yuga age. He is considered the Supreme form of Vishnu in this age. The Venkateswara swami temple is also called Kaliyuga Vaikuntam.

History

It is said that Lord Kubera lent money to the God Venkateshwara (a form of the god Vishnu) for His marriage with Padmavati. In remembrance of this, the devotees going to Tirupati donate money and gold in Venkateshwara's Hundi ("Donation pot"), so that He can repay Lord Kubera.

Etymology and other names

The name Venkateshwara can be split into multiple parts in Sanskrit: Vem (Destroy),^[1] Kata (Sin),^[2] and Ishwara (Supreme Lord). The word comes from the 'Pasurams' of the Alwars which were written in Tamil but also used Sanskrit words.^[3] Using this etymology, Venkateshwara refers to the Supreme Lord who destroys sins. He is one of the main deities among 108 divya desams or Tirupathy (www.srivari.com). A more probable origin is that it is a translation of the Tamil word Venkatamalaiyudaiyaan (he who has mount venkata). This is attested in the Sangam literature where Venkatamalai (nediyon kundam) is said to be the northern border of Tamizhagam: வடவேங்கடம் தென்குமரி ஆயிடைத் தமிழ்கூறு நல்லுலகு (The great Tamil nation that stands between Venkatam in the north and Kanyanumari in the south).
The ancient Vishnu Kautuvam describes Him as Souryarayan, the one who destroys the evil and who comforts us. He is fondly called Venkanna in the folklore of Andhra Pradesh. He is also known as "Srinivasa", "Balaji (though this is a more recent name), "Tiruvengadattaan Tirupati Thimmappa, and by many other names.
He is also worshipped with the name Tirupati Thimmappa all over Karnataka by traditionally Shiva-worshipping communities. The presence of seven hills in the area influenced alternate names for the deity: such as Edukondalavadu in Telugu and as Ezhumalaiyan in Tamil, both of which mean "Lord of the Seven Hills". According to legend, the temple has a murti (deity) of Lord Venkateswara, believed to have resided there for the entire Kali Yuga. In Sri Vaishnava tradition, the temple is considered one of the 108 Divya Desams or 108 Tirupathys.
In his mangala sloka in 'Sri Bhashya', the Lokaguru Shrimath Ramanuja declares the glory of Lord Venkateswara:
"akhila bhuvana janma sthema bhangAdi lIle
vinata vividha bhuta vrAta rakshaika dikshe |
Sruti Sirasi vidIpte brahmaNi SrInivAse
bhavatu mama parasmin Semushi bhakti rUpA ||
May my intellect assume the form of Bhakti in Srinivasa, the highest Reality, revealed in the Vedanta as the Lord who creates, protects and destroys the whole universe with sportive ease and who has taken a vow to protects all creatures who seek Him."
Kamban, in his celebrated Ramayana, makes an explicit reference to the Thiru Vengadam Hills; he says the truth enshrined in the four Vedas stands out as the eternal satya on the Vengada Hills. 'Silappadikaram', the great Tamil classic, calls the Holy Hills, 'Nediyon Kunrams'. The Alvars wrote poems of praise expressing devotion to the Lord.

Epic Importance

The Venkatam hill is believed to be a part of the celestial Mount Meru brought to the earth from Vaikuntam by Garuda (Lord's vehicle), say the Puranas. The Hills are said to be a manifestation of Adi Sesha (the cosmic serpent). The Seven hills of the Tirumala are said to represent the seven hoods of Adi Sesha.
Many Alvars, Vaishnavacharyas and saints have praised the Tirumala Hill with great devotion. Tirumala Mambi, a descendent of the great ascetic Narada, spent his whole life in serving the Lord.
References to the tirumala also found in several of Puranas. Tirumala is one of the 108 sacred shrines of the Sri Vaishanava tradition. According to the Puranas, Lord Vishnu stayed on the earth for some time in the Avatar of Swetha Varaham and rose out of pushkarini as Swayambhuva. His spouse Lakshmi Devi appeared in Thirucharnur. This Swwtha Varaha Avatharam was installed in the temple situated to the west of Swamy Pushkarni. The great religious leader Ramanujacharya visited this shrine on a pilgrimage and systematised the process of worship in accordance with the SriVaishnava that continues to date.
ALWARS Nammalvar (3000 B.C) extols Lord Venkateswara as the veritable aushadam (medicine) for curing the disease of samsara in the areas of birth and death. Saint Kulasekhara Alvar prays to the Lord Srinivasa to grant him even the lowest birth in the holy Tirumala Hills—as a fish in the sacred Swami Pushkarini, or as a tree, or as anything on the golden hills of Lord Venkateswara (emberumaan ponmalai mEl EdhEnum avEnE).

Legend

Main article: Legend of Tirumala

According to the scripture Sthala Purana, the legend of Venkateshwara's Avatar (incarnation) is as follows:
Once, some rishis headed by Kasyapa began to perform a sacrifice on the banks of the Ganges. Sage Narada visited them and asked them why they were performing the sacrifice and who would be pleased by it. Not being able to answer the question, the rishis approached Sage Bhrugu, who according to the Vedas, is believed to have an extra eye in the sole of his foot. To reach a solution after a direct ascertainment of reality, Sage Bhrigu first went to Satyaloka, the abode of Lord Brahma. At Satyaloka, he found Lord Brahma reciting the four Vedas in praise of Lord Narayana, with each of his four heads, and attended upon by Saraswati. Lord Brahma did not take notice of Bhrigu offering obeisance. Concluding that Lord Brahma was unfit for worship, Bhrigu left Satyaloka for Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva. At Kailasa, Bhrigu found Lord Shiva with Parvati, and so, did not notice his presence. Bhrigu then left for Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Vishnu.
At Vaikunta, Lord Vishnu was reposing on Adisesha with Sri Mahalakshmi in service at His feet. Finding that Lord Vishnu also did not notice him, the sage was infuriated and kicked the Lord on His chest, the place where Mahalakshmi resides. Vishnu, in an attempt to pacify the sage, got hold of legs of the sage and started to press them gently in a way that was comforting to the sage. During this act, he squeezed the extra eye that was present in the sole of Bhrigu's foot. The extra eye is believed to represent the sage's egotism. The sage then realised his grave mistake and apologized to Vishnu. Thereupon, the sage concluded that Lord Vishnu was the most supreme of the Trimurti and told the rishis the same.
Sri Mahalakshmi was angered by the action of Her Lord in apologising to Bhrigu who committed an offence. Out of anger and anguish, She left Vaikuntha and resided in Karavirapur now known as Kolhapur. After the departure of Mahalakshmi, a forlorn Lord Vishnu left Vaikunta, came down to Earth, and took abode in an ant-hill under a tamarind tree, beside a pushkarini on the Venkata Hill, meditating for the return of Lakshmi, without food or sleep.
Taking pity on Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara decided to assume the forms of a cow and its calf to serve Him. Surya, the Sun god, informed Mahalakshmi of this and requested Her to assume the form of a cow herdess and sell the cow and calf to the king of the Chola country. The king of the Chola country bought the cow and its calf and sent them to graze on the Venkata Hill along with his herd of cattle. Discovering Lord Vishnu on the ant-hill, the cow provided its milk, and thus fed the Lord. Meanwhile, at the palace, the cow was not yielding any milk, for which the Chola Queen chastised the cowherd severely. To find out the cause of lack of milk, the cowherd followed the cow, hid himself behind a bush and discovered the cow emptying her udder over the ant-hill. Angered by the conduct of the cow, the cowherd aimed a blow with his axe on the head of the cow. However, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill to receive the blow and save the cow. When the cowherd saw the Lord bleed at the blow of his axe, he fell down and died of shock.
The cow returned to the Chola King, bellowing in fright and with blood stains all over her body. To find out the cause of the cow's terror, the King followed her to the scene of the incident. The King found the cowherd lying dead on the ground near the ant-hill. While he stood wondering how it had happened, Lord Vishnu rose from the ant-hill and cursed the King saying that he would become an Asura because of the fault of his servant. The King pleaded innocence, and the Lord blessed him by saying that he will be reborn as Akasa Raja and that the curse would end when the Lord will be adorned with a crown presented by Akasa Raja at the time of His marriage with Padmavati. With these words, the Lord turned into stone.
Thereafter, Lord Vishnu, also known by the name of Srinivasa, decided to stay in Varaha Kshetra and requested Sri Varahaswami to grant Him a site for His stay. His request being readily granted, Srinivasa ordained that a pilgrimage to His shrine would not be complete unless it is preceded by a bath in the Pushkarini and darshan of Sri Varahaswami and that pooja and naivedya should be offered to Sri Varaha swami first. Vishnu built a hermitage and lived there, attended to by Vakuladevi who looked after Him like a mother.
A while later, a King named Akasa Raja who belonged to the Lunar race, came to rule over Thondamandalam. Akasa Raja had no heirs, and therefore, he wanted to perform a sacrifice. As part of the sacrifice, he was ploughing the fields when his plough turned up a lotus in the ground. On examining the lotus, the King found a female child in it. The king was happy to find a child even before he performed a sacrifice and carried it to his place and gave it to his Queen to tend to it. At that time he heard an aerial voice which said "O King, tend it as your child and fortune will befall you". As she was found in a lotus, the king named her Padmavati. She grew up as a princess into a beautiful maiden and was attended by a host of maids.
One day, Lord Srinivasa, who was hunting, chased a wild elephant in the forests surrounding the hills. In the elephant's pursuit, the Lord was led into a garden, where Princess Padmavati and her maids were picking flowers. The sight of the elephant frightened the Princess and her maids. But the elephant immediately turned around, saluted the Lord and disappeared into the forest. Lord Srinivasa, who was following on horse back, saw the frightened maidens, but was repulsed with stones thrown at Him by the maids. He returned to the hills in haste, leaving His horse behind. The Lord informed Vakuladevi that unless He married Princess Padmavati, He would not be calmed.
The Lord then narrated the story of Padmavati’s previous birth and His promise to marry her. After listening to Srinivasa's story of how he had promised to marry Vedavati in her next birth as Padmavati, Vakuladevi realised that Srinivasa would not be happy unless He married her. She offered to go to Akasa Raja and his Queen and arrange for the marriage. On the way she met the maids of Padmavati returning from a Shiva Temple. She learnt from them that Padmavati was also pining for Srinivasa. Vakuladevi went along with the maid servants to the Queen.
Meanwhile, Akasa Raja and his Queen Dharanidevi were anxious about the health of their daughter, Padmavati. They learnt about Padmavathi's love for Srinivasa of Venkata Hill. Akasa Raja consulted Brihaspati about the marriage and was informed that the marriage was in the best interest of both the parties. Kubera lent money to Lord Srinivasa to meet the expenses of the marriage. Lord Srinivasa, along with Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva started the journey to the residence of Akasa Raja on his vahana Garuda. At the palace entrance, Lord Srinivasa was received by Akasa Raja with full honours and taken in procession on a mounted elephant to the palace for the marriage. In the presence of all the Devas, Lord Srinivasa married Princess Padmavati, thus blessing Akasa Raja. Together, they lived for all eternity while Goddess Lakshmi, understanding the commitments of Lord Vishnu, chose to live in his heart forever.
Venkateshwara's temple, today is located at the top of the Seven hills in Tirumala. It stands as a special place, commemorating the marriage between the two. Everyday, a kalyana utsavam celebrates the divine union in a celebration that stretches to eternity. Even today, during the Brahmotsavam at the temple, turmeric, kumkum and a sari are sent from the temple to Tiruchanur, the abode of Padmavati. In fact Tirupati is rarely visited without paying a visit to Tiruchanur. In the light of this background, it has become the favored destination of many newly wed couples who pray for a happy wedding similar to that of Srinivasa and Padmavati.
A tale associated with the temple goes thus: A helper boy called Bala was once falsely accused of being a thief. When people started chasing him he had to run for his life. He was hit on the head by the mob and his head started bleeding profusely. He ran to the Tirupati Temple of Lord Vishnu and ran to the main door of the temple. When the people entered the temple, they couldn't find the boy but saw the head of God's idol bleeding. It was considered that the boy was sheltered and protected by Vishnu himself, and the priests put cloth on the idol's head to control the bleeding.
Thirumalai Ananthalvan : Selfless Service to the Lord
Millions of devotees throng the Tirumala Hills practically round the clock throughout the year. As the rush of pilgrims increases day by day, Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams is hard put to finding ways and means of accommodating them and arranging darshan without long wait. As they move towards the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Venkateswara, how many will remember that there was a time, just a thousand years back, when the Hills were deserted with not much of human habitation in sight ? Ask any Srivaishnavite to name the man of the millennium . Pat will come the reply, Saint Ramanuja.
Ramanuja ( 1017-1137 A.D.) had visited the Hills thrice. His maternal uncle, Peria Thirumalai Nambi gave him discourses on the Ramayana for several months at the Hills. The temple and the surroundings were in bad shape and worship was not organized regularly. Ramanuja was inspired by the Holy Hymns of the Alwars singing the glory of the Lord of the Seven Hills. He called an assembly of the Acharyas, 74 in number and posed them the question whether any one of them will take up the task of serving the Lord on the Hills on a day to day basis. Everyone was hesitating, fearing the hard life up the Hills what with tigers, malaria and the forests. There was Ananthalvan, a strong and silent devotee in the gathering. He rose to his feet and prayed, " Beloved Acharya ! Bestow the blessing of serving the Lord of the Seven Hills on this humble self. With your grace , I will be happy to undertake this service." Ramanuja was mightily pleased and embracing Ananthalvan, declared before the congregation, " Ananthalvan , You are truly the man ( Aanpillai)."
Who is Ananthalvan ?
Ananthalvan was born as the son of Sri Kesavacharya of Bharadwaja Gothra in the year “Vijaya”, the 975th of the Sakha Era, 4154 years after Kali Yuga commenced, in the month of Chaitra on the day of Chithra Star at Sirupudur in Mysore and was named Anantharya.
He was taught the Vedas, Vedangas and Dhivyaprabandhams of Azhvars at the right age. On hearing about Sri Ramanuja he went to Srirangam. His samasrayanam was done by Sri Arulalaperumal Emperumanar who proclaimed that for them and for him the Acharya was always Ramanujar. Just as the Lord was born as Nara and Narayana, Adiseshan too was born as Ramanujar and Ananthazhvar as Acharya and Shishya.
Ananthalvan choose to settle down on the Hills in fulfillment of the command of the Guru and went on to lay the garden of flowers, dug up the lake and named it after Ramanuja. As a part of maintenance of a garden in the service of the Lord, Ananthazhwar was digging up earth, assisted by his pregnant wife. She got tired.The compassionate Lord could not contain himself. He assumed the form of a lad and assisted her in her service.Ananthalvar got angry and hit with a crowbar a young man who was trying to help his wife in laying the garden. Ananthalvan was chasing him when the young man disappeared into the temple. The priests found blood oozing from the chin of the Lord as Ananthalvan entered the sanctum sanctorum. He applied camphor on the chin and prayed for forgiveness. The crowbar can even today be seen at the entrance to the temple as a memento to the dedicated devotion of Ananthalvan. The camphor is distributed as prasad.{Sri padarenu}
One time Lord consider Anandhalvar as his guru and Ramanujar as Loka Guru and give a slokam
During the second visit up the Hills, Saint Ramanuja went round the garden laid down by Ananthasuri and was delighted to find the garden thick with vakula, patala, punnaga, shenbaga and other flower bearing fragrant trees, the bunches of flowers hanging from the branches, entertaining the ears of pilgrims with strains of music poured forth by bees and all kinds of plumaged birds. Saint Ramanuja remembered, how on the first occasion, he had given the call to Ananthasuri at the time of discourse on Nammalwar's hymns referring to the Lord as residing in flower bedecked Venkata Hills ( Sindhupoo maghizhum Thiruvengadam). He called Anantharya and declared in the august presence of Peria Thirumalai Nambigal, " O Anantharya ! Having nursed Thee , I now reap the fruit."
Anantha Suri was some sort of a chronicler. His Venkatchala Ithihasamala represents to Tirupati what Koil Olugu is to Srirangam. The Holy triumvirate of Saint Ramanuja, Ananthalvan and Peria Thirumalai Nambigal at a conference at the third visit of Ramanuja set up the Pedda Jeeyangar Mutt to regulate the vaikansa agama form of worship. The Saint began his SriBashya with an invocation to the Lord as Brahmani Srinivasa. This was a free Sanskrit rendering of Nammalwar's famous hymn addressing the Lord as "Alarmelmangai Urai Marba."
Epigraphs TT 171, 173 and 175 on the Tirumalai Hills show Ananthalvan's dedication to Saint Ramanuja. His word was gospel to him. Whatever was dear to Ramanuja was dearer to Ananthalvan. He prays to Ramanuja to bless him with the noble spirit to imbibe the teachings of Nammalwar. His devotion to Andal was so great that on one occasion he was seen diving deep down the Srivilliputtur temple tank to search for the remnants of holy turmeric if any used by Andal. He composed the Ramanuja Chautsloki showing how Srirangam, The Tirumalai Hills, Kanchi and Melkote were dear to Ramanuja. His Gotha Chatusloki is a work of great art, rich in lines whose depth of thought, warmth of feeling, glow of imagery and grace of phrases will ring for centuries in every land where the glory of Andal is cherished.
Bhattar, the successor to Saint Ramanuja at Srirangam, once sent a disciple to Ananthalvan to ascertain who a true Vaishnava was. Ananthalvan told the Brahmin from Srirangam, " A true Sri Vaishnavite is like a crane , like a cock , like salt. He will be like You." Bhattar later on explained the four different ideas of Ananthalvan. The Srivaishnava ignores ordinary mortals and awaits the arrival of a true Gnani so that he may surrender to that Mahatma through devotion to service. Not for him the different parts of the Vedas which are not always of universal appeal. Like the cock picking up the good grains from the chaff, the Vaishnava will swear by the Dravida Veda of Nammalwar. Just as the salt dissolves itself in food and becomes useful thereby, the Srivaishnava effaces himself in Bhagavath, Bhaagavatha and Acharya Kainkarya. Like the Brahmin from Srirangam, he is free of ego or arrogance, always humble and devoted to the Srivaishnava clan.
Ananthalvan's final sacred gift to the pilgrims visiting the Hills was the shrine for Ramanuja. The image was presented to Ananthalvan by Saint Ramanuja Himself on request and was consecrated after the Saint shuffled off his mortal coil. Consecration may be later in time but the image itself is more ancient than those in Sriperumbudur, Srirangam and Thirunarayanapuram.
Ananthalvan rebukes Nanjeeyar for taking to Sanyas. For him liberation is attained by service to the community. Indeed Ananthalvan advises his disciple Vaishnava Dasa to spend his wealth for the upliftment of the poor and the down trodden if he is to aspire for the grace of Lord Venkateswara.
Ananthalvan joined eternity with the Lord on the sacred Thiru Adi Pooram day. Even today, Lord Venkateswara visits the garden and bestows honours on the Magizha Tree.
The satari at the main sanctum sanctorum is known as Sadagopa in remembrance of Nammalwar. The one in the Ramanuja shrine is known as Ananthalvan.
The Vaishnava community always held religious beliefs as filling too vital a function in sustaining individual morality and morale and social order and control. Ananthalvan belonged to a different clime and a different age, but it was not blind faith but faith married to reason.
Inside the Tirupati Balaji Venkateshwara Temple
Garbha Griha
The Garbha Griha or sanctum is where the main deity of Lord Sri Venkateswara resides. The deity stands majestically in the Garbha Griha, directly beneath a gilt dome called the Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana.
This exquisitely-wrought deity called the Mulaberam, is believed to be self-manifested, as there has been no known sculptor possessing the capability to sculpt deities so proportionately and beautifully. Further, no human being is known to have installed it in the shrine.
Ordinarily, the Lord wears a gold kiritam (crown) which has a large emerald embedded in front. On special occasions, he is adorned with a diamond kiritam.
On his forehead, the Lord has a thick double patch of up wrought namam (tilak) drawn with refined camphor, which screens his eyes. In between the two white patches is a kasturitilakam.
His ears are bedecked with shining golden makara kundalas. The fist of His raised right hind hand is implanted with a gem-set chakra, and the corresponding left fist with the sankha. The slightly outstretched front right hand, has its fingers pointing to His lotus feet, as the only recourse to His devotees to attain oneness with Him and enjoy eternal bliss. His front left hand is akimbo to assure His devotees of protection, and to show that the samsara sagara is only hip-deep if they seek His refuge.
His body is clothed with a pitambaram tied with gold string, and a gold belt to which are attached tiny, jingling gold bells. He is adorned with precious ornaments. He has a yajnopavita flowing down cross-wise from His left shoulder. He bears Sri Lakshmi Devi on His right chest and Sri Padmavathi Devi on His left chest. He bears Nagabharanam ornaments on both shoulders.
His lotus feet are covered with gold frames and decked with clinging gold anklets. A strong curved belt of gold encompasses his legs.
During Abhishekam, we can have darshan of Goddess Lakshmi.
The Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana was covered with gilt copper plates and surmounted with a golden vase, in the thirteenth century, during the reign of the Vijayanagara king, Yadava Raya.
Pilgrims are not allowed to enter the Garbha Gruha (beyond Kulasekara path)

Location of main shrine

Venkateshwara's abode is in the Venkatam hills (the hills are more often referred to as Edu Kondalu) near Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. The main temple of Venkateshwara is the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The Tirumala temple is believed to be the richest of all the temples in the world. The temple is located in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, a state in Southern India.

Adoration

Many saints have visited the shrine and worshipped Venkateswara. Notable among them is the foremost Jagadguru Adi Sankaracharya, who came to Tirumala and placed the Sri Chakra at the feet of Venkateshwara and sang the song "Sri Vishnu Paadadi Keshanta Sloka", in which the Jagadguru describes the beauty of the Lord from the crown to the toes.
The Venkateswara Suprabhatam, being the morning recital of prayers and songs of awakening, is believed to have been written and sung by one of Ramanujacharya's disciples who visited the temple with his Guru.ShriVyasatirtha worshipped Lord Venkateshwara for 12 long years. Shri Vyasatirtha was Asthana Guru of king KrishnaDevaraya of Vijayanagara Empire. Shri Vadirajatirtha, most prominent^[4] among the Madhva saints, is believed to have climbed the Tirumala hill on his knees because it appeared to him like a huge Shaligrama and is said to have given a garland of shaligram to the Lord.
There is also a Govindaraya(Vishnu) temple in the Tirupati town down below the hills that has Vishnu in Yoga Nidra with Sri devi and Bhudevi next to him. Traditionally, Kurubas is said to have built the temples on top of the mountains for the worship of Vishnu.

Symbolic description

Lord Venkateswara's eyes are covered, because it is said that his gaze is so intense, it would scorch the universe

Transport to Tirupati

Road

Tirupati central bus terminal (Srihari bus station) is one of the largest in the state. Tirupati has direct bus services to nearby towns and major cities across South India.There are 4 bus stands in the city. There is a dedicated Bus Stand at Alipiri for buses (once in every 2 minutes) to Tirumala. The city has a well planned network of roads with synchronized traffic control system and being maintained by TTD itself, to cater the needs of the visiting pilgrims.
A number of buses are operated by the government-run APSRTC and private operators connecting Tirupati to other major cities and towns such as Chennai, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Vizag and Bangalore.

Railway

Tirupati Railway Station, with Tirumala hill in the background

Tirupati has a major railway station which is well equipped and has ten platforms but only five are used; and presently undergoing modernization, including three escalators. There are many trains travelling across the country with Tirupati as the starting point. Tirupati is well connected to major cities across India, esp. Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. It is connected by Chennai sub-urban railways in North-western line.
Renigunta junction which lies on the busy Chennai and Mumbai rail route, is just 10 minutes drive from Tirupati city. From here one can catch major trains to almost every part of the Country. Himsagar Express, Kerala Express, Navyug Express, Ten Jammu Express are some of the trains to New Delhi(Via. Nagpur, Itarsi, Bhopal) that passes through Renigunta. Gurudev Express to Kolkatta (Howrah Junction).
Gudur junction also serves the needs of Pilgrims. Gudur Junction is one of the major junction in south India, is 84 km from Tirupati.
However, the city lacks direct connectivity with important and religious places such as Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Jaipur and Dehradun.

Air

Tirupati Airport has been declared as an International airport but is yet to operate direct international flights. Currently the airport has flights to Hyderabad, Vizag, New Delhi via Hyderabad. Additionally the airport offers flights to Coimbatore, Kolkata, Mumbai via Hyderabad. International Cargo currently connects to Dubai. The airport is located 15 km from the city centre. Closest international airport is located in Chennai, (Chennai International Airport) which is 130 km (81 mi) from Tirupati. The Tirupati airport is to be upgraded to an International Airport and the upgrade process is underway. On 2 September 2010 PrimeMinister Laid the Foundation Stone for building new terminal of International airport.

Om Tat Sat
                                                        
(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )