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Tirumala Venkateswara Temple (Telugu:

)), is a Hindu

temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is around 150 km (93 mi) from Chennai, 500 km (310 mi) from Hyderabad, and 250 km (160 mi) 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, Vrushabadri, 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" (Saptagiri in Sanskrit). 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.[1] 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[2][3]) and the mostvisited place of worship in the world.[4][5][6] 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.[7] 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. Tirumala has remained a highly frequented pilgrimage site in Tamilakam throughout most of its history and was a principle temple in the country of Tondai Nadu before the territory was transferred to Andhra Pradesh in the 20th century CE[8]. Almost all the epigraphs of the temple are in Tamil and interspersed with Grantha characters.[9]

Contents
[hide]

1 History of the temple o 1.1 Ancient history o 1.2 Medieval history o 1.3 Modern history 2 Vimanam 3 Ramanuja 4 Deities in the temple 5 Worship 6 Temple activities o 6.1 Prasadam 6.1.1 Tirupati Laddu Prasadam and GI controversy o 6.2 Hair tonsuring o 6.3 Hundi (donation pot)

6.4 Thulabaram 6.5 Arjitha seva (paid services) 7 The Seven Hills 8 Festivals 9 Related Temples 10 Nearby temples 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

o o

[edit] History of the temple


[edit] Ancient history
In the Dvapara Yuga, the hill was known by the name of Sheshachala or Sheshadri. The place was known as Venkatachala for centuries; it is believed that this name was given by Lord Brahma. Ancient literature works Silappatikaram and Manimekalai refer to this place as Thiruvengadam. "Ven" means "sin" and "Kata" means "destroyed or burnt". Therefore the name means that a person who worships there will get cleansed of all sins. A Thondaiman ruler of ancient Tondai Nadu is believed to have first built the temple after visualizing Lord Vishnu in a dream. He built the Gopuram and the Prakhara, and arranged for regular prayers to be conducted in the temple. Later on, the Chola Dynasty (300 BC1279) vastly improved the temple and gave rich endowments.

[edit] Medieval history


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.[10] 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.[11] There is an idol of Raja Todar Mal who was the revenue minister of Akbar, greeting pilgrims in the premises of the temple.

[edit] Modern history


Main article: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams

Swami Pushkarni of Tirumala In 1843, with the coming of the East India Company, 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. 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.[12] The annual budget, estimated at Rs 10 billion in 2008, is funded mostly by donations. TTD runs charitable trusts whose funds are derived from the budget and donations from the devotees.[13]

[edit] Vimanam

Tirumala Temple and Vaikuntam Queue Complex (semicircular building in the foreground) as seen from Srivari Padalu on Narayanagiri hill 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.

[edit] Ramanuja
Ramanuja 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 Pandyan emblem of two fish and a hook is carved on the wall next to the entrance. 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.

[edit] 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. 4. 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. 5. Bali Beram or Koluvu Srinivasa This silver 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. There are also rituals performed in July each year, at the end of the fiscal year.

[edit] Worship

Tirumala Temple entrance The names ascribed to the main deity are Balaji, Srinivasa, Venkateswara, and Venkatachalapathy. 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 Vaishnava sect of southern India, known as the Sri Vaishnava. 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. The Venkateswara Suprabhatam, the morning recital of prayers and songs of awakening, was written by Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Annangaracharya of Kanchipuram and sung by M. S. Subbulakshmi.[14] Several composers composed beautiful kirtanas about Lord Venkateswara, the most notable amongst them being Tyagaraja and Annamacharya, who composed mostly in Telugu. Annamacharya (14081503) 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. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. UshaKala Aradhana worship (or Aradhana) should start and finish before sunrise Prathakala Aradhana worship should start after sunrise and finish before noon Madhyanika Aradhana worship should start and finish at noon Aparahana Aradhana worship should start when the sun starts to descend SandhyaKala Aradhana worship should start and finish around the sunset 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, Ramanuja established a Jeeyar Mattam, wherein this Mattam would take care of the temple work.

[edit] Temple activities


[edit] Prasadam
Laddu is the world famous prasadam given at Tirumala Temple.[15] Recently the Trust has taken copy right 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. [edit] Tirupati Laddu Prasadam and GI controversy

The grant of Geographical Indication tag to Tirupati laddu by Indian Patent Office in 2009 raised many eyebrows, as it paves the way for enhanced commercialization of faith. The patent grant became a controversy soon. R.S. Praveen Raj, a scientist and IPR expert from Kerala filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of GI tag to Tirupati laddu[16] but withdrew the same as a similar public interest petition was filed before the Madras High Court by another.[17] Later, Madras High Court dismissed the petition[18] on the ground that there already existed an alternate and efficacious remedy, in the form of rectification plea before the Registrar of GIs or the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB). The scientist, who had earlier filed the PIL in Supreme Court, then petitioned IPAB requesting it to initiate an action on its own will (suo motu) for the cancellation of GI status to the Tiruppathi laddu. But IPAB wrote back to him stating that it had no such power to act on its own volition. The scientist was not in a mood to give it up. Of late, he has registered an application with the GI Registry[19] seeking removal of the entry pertaining to Tirupati Laddu' from the GI Register.

[edit] Hair tonsuring


Many devotees have their head tonsured as an offer. The daily amount of hair collected is over a ton.[20] 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,[21] bringing over $6 million to the temple's treasury.[citation needed][20] 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.

[edit] 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.[4] Devotees offer gold as a token of their love for God. The annual gold offering goes as high as 3000 kg.[22]

[edit] Thulabaram
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.

[edit] 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.[23]

[edit] The Seven Hills


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

Vrushabadri (Telugu: Anjanadri (Telugu: Neeladri (Telugu:

) Hill of Nandi, the vahana of Lord Shiva) ) Hill of Lord Hanuman ) 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 (Telugu: ) or Garudachalam Hill of Garuda, the vahana of Lord Vishnu Seshadri (Telugu: Naraynadri (Telugu: Venkatadri (Telugu: ) or Seshachalam Hill of Sesha, the dasa of Lord Vishnu ) Hill of Narada Muni ) Hill of Lord Venkateswara

[edit] Festivals

Elephants marching during a festival at Tirumala 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. The temple receives millions of devotees over the short span of a week. Other major festivals include Vasanthotsavam (spring

festival), conducted in MarchApril, and Rathasapthami (Magha Shuddha Saptami), celebrated in February, when Lord Venkateswara's deity is taken on procession around the temple chariots.

[edit] Related Temples


Tirupati is one of the Divya Desams a group of 108 holy temples in the Vaishnavite system. Ancient Hindu kings were extremely devout and patronised the arts. The ancient Vaishnavaites did not want their religion to fade out with time, so the temple at Thirupathi was part of a plan: they built many temples across South India. These temples collectively became known as the Divya Desams. These temples are acclaimed for their historical and architectural significance. Encouraged by the Vaishnavaite saints and scholars, ancient kings built, maintained, and donated large sums of money for the upkeep of these temples. Uppiliappan temple, Thiruvanthipuram temple Vaishanva Hindu Temple in Cuddalore, and Varagur temple, near Kumbakonam are considered to be the "divine brothers" of Lord Venkateswara. Traditionally Kurubas build temples on top of the mountains and worshiped the Almighty. Lord Venkateswara has a strong following from the Backward Castes, who are traditionally Shiva worshipers in south India. Lord Venkateswara also has a significant Dalit following. The Ancient temples in the near vicinity of Tirupati which were built around the same period as the Sri Venkateswara Temple (Tirumala) are listed below. All these temples are built in the same style, the Dravidian Koil architecture of the Cholas, with inscriptions on the temple walls in Old Tamil with its distinctly two-tense style of past and non-past, with differentiation between present-tense and future-tense left to the reader's intuition based on the context of a sentence. All these ancient temples listed below, and many others, along with the Tirumala temple, form the Divyadesam group of temples as envisaged by the Sri Vaishnava saints who patronized them. 1. 2. 3. 4. Thiruevvul (Veera Raghava Swamy Temple), Thiruvallur. Ramapuram (Lakshmi Narasimhar Temple), Chennai. Thiruninravur (Bakthavatsala Perumal Temple), Chennai. Thiruputkuzhi This temple can be seen by the side of the highway midway between Chennai and Vellore. It is claimed that this is the site where Lord Rama found the dying Jatayu, after its battle with Ravana to rescue Sita. Thiruneermalai (Neervanna Perumal Temple), Thiruneermalai village, Pallavaram, Chennai. Thiruvidandai (Nithya Kalyana Perumal Temple), Kovalam, Chennai. Thiruvallikeni (Parthasarathy Temple), Mylapore (now within the city of Chennai). Thirukadalmallai (Sthalasayana Perumal Temple), Mahabalipuram. Thirukkadigai/Sholingur, near Arakkonam.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

[edit] 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 Pamdmavati 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 (MayJune) 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 (MarchApril). 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. Temples that are related to Tirupathi are found in and around the post-independence state of Tamil Nadu (and a few in Kerala, Karanataka, North India, and Nepal as well). Several temples located near Chennai are related to Tirupati: 1. Soumyanatha Swami Temple, Soumyanatha Swami is another name and form of Lord Venkateshwara in Nandalur Kadapa District This article is about Tirumala town. For the temple located here, see Sri Venkateswara Temple.

Tirumala)
hill town

Tirumala)
Location of Tirumala)

in Andhra Pradesh and India

133900N 792512E13.6500N Coordinates 79.4200ECoordinates:


133900N 792512E13.6500N 79.4200E

Country State District(s)

India Andhra Pradesh Chittoor

Nearest city Tirupati Population Density


18,013 (2004)

667 /km2 (1,728 /sq mi)

Time zone Area Elevation Codes[show]

IST (UTC+05:30)
27 km2 (10 sq mi)

976 metres (3,202 ft)

Pincode 5175XX-26 Telephone +0877 Vehicle AP-03

Tirumala (Telugu: , Tamil: )is a hill town in Chittoor district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Tirumala is a first-most divine pilgrim center of Hindu/Vedha Religion, popularly known as Sri Venkateswara Temple, which is dedicated for the Supreme God Shri mann Narayana/Maha Vishnu. As Rama Avathara/Krishna Avathara are known as Vibhava avathara of the God, the Sri Rengam/Tirumala/Badrinath are the existing places of Archavatharas of the Supreme God. The Tirumala Hill is 3,200 feet (980 m) above sea level and is about 10.33 square miles (26.8 km2) in area. It comprises seven peaks representing the seven hoods of Adisesha, thus earning the name Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri. The sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara[1] is on the seventh peak, Venkatadri (Venkata Hill), and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini.

Contents
[hide]

1 Etymology 2 History of the temple o 2.1 Ancient history 3 Importance in mythology o 3.1 Alwars 4 Inside the Tirupati Balaji Venkateshwara Temple o 4.1 Garbha Griha 5 Sri Ramanuja Shrine o 5.1 Bangaaru Vaakili o 5.2 Medieval history o 5.3 British Raj history o 5.4 The temple today o 5.5 The White Spot 6 Demographics 7 Language and culture 8 Transport

8.1 On Foot 8.2 Road 8.3 Rail 8.4 Air 9 Accommodation 10 Panorama 11 Tourist locations o 11.1 AkaaSa Ganga o 11.2 Srivaari Paadamulu o 11.3 Natural stone arch o 11.4 Paapa Vinaasanam 12 See also 13 References

o o o o

[edit] Etymology
The word Tirumala is a combination of two Tamil words Tiru (sacred or honorable) and Malai (hill or peak), thus the word Tirumala means the "Sacred Mountain" (of Lord Vishnu).

[edit] History of the temple


Main article: Tirumala Venkateswara Temple

[edit] Ancient history

The Temple Ancient Tamil king Thondaiman, ruler of the ancient Thondaimandalam (present day Kanchipuram),[2] is believed to have first built the temple after visualizing Lord Vishnu in his dream. He built the Gopuram and the Prakhara, and arranged for regular prayers to be conducted in the temple. Later on, the Chola dynasty vastly improved the temple and gave rich endowments. Puranic literature which was composed roughly around the post-Mauryan and earlyGupta era also mentions Tirupati as the Aadhi Varaha Kshetra. The Puranas associate the

site with Lord Varaha, a Dashavatara of Lord Vishnu. The Varaha shrine holds great importance in Tirupati and is said to be older than the main sanctum of Venkateswara. There is also the Ranga Mandapam, which is to the left side of the temple as one enters. This is where the main deity, Sri Ranganatha Swamy of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Trichy), was protected for a period of almost 60 years during attacks by Malik Kafur in the 14th century. In his mangala sloka in Sri Bhashya, the Lokaguru Shrimath Ramanuja declares in no uncertain terms the resplendent glory of Lord Venkateswara: akhila bhuvana janma sthema bhangaadi leele vinata vividha bhuuta vraata rakshaika dikshe | Sruti Sirasi videepte brahmanee Sreenivaase bhavatu mama parasmin Semushi bhakti ruupaa "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 protect all creatures who seek him." Kamban, in his celebrated Ramayana makes an explicit reference to the Thiru Vengadam Hills and states that 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'. It was, however, the Alvars who brought forth the transcendental majesty of Lord Venkateswara through their poems of praise which are surcharged with undiluted devotion to the Lord.

[edit] Importance in mythology


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 the said to represent the Seven hoods of Adi Sesha. Many Alvars, Vaishnavacharyas and saints have praised the Tirumala Hill with great devotion. Tirumala Nambi, 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 Swetha 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.

[edit] 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 Hillsas 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). 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 find 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.) 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 74 Acharyas and posed them the question whether any one of them will take up the task of serving the Lord on the Hills on a dayto-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)." 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 fulfilment 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 young man with a crowbar, the 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. One time Lord consider Anandhalvar as his guru and Ramanujar as Loka Guru and gave 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 from 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.

[edit] Inside the Tirupati Balaji Venkateshwara Temple


[edit] 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 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 hand is implanted with a gem-set Sudershana Chakra, and the corresponding left fist with the Holy Cone. 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

Umbilical Chord flowing down cross-wise from His left shoulder. He bears Goddess Lakshmi on His right chest and Sri Padmavathi Devi on His left chest. He bears Nagaabharanam ornaments on His 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 Kulasekhara padi (path)).

[edit] Sri Ramanuja Shrine


Adjacent to the Sangeeta Bhandara in the northern corridor of the Vimana Pradakshinam is the shrine of Sri Ramanuja, the great Vaishnava Acharya. It is also called the Bhashyakara Sannidhi. Ramanuja was the architect of Tirupati and the father of the Sri Vaishnava community there. He designed the Nandanavanams or flower gardens of the temple. He was mainly responsible for managing the worship procedures and other affairs of the Sri Venkateswara temple. The shrine was built around the 13th century. It overlooks the western end of the Tirumamani Mandapam. The Pandyan emblem of two fish and a hook is carved on the wall next to the entrance. 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 utsava murthi of Ramanuja is taken in a grand procession to meet Malayappa near the Padi Kavali.

[edit] Bangaaru Vaakili


From the Tirumamani Mandapam, you can enter the Bangaaru Vaakili (Golden Corridor) to reach the inner sanctum sanctorum. There are two tall copper images of the dwaarapaalakaas Jaya and Vijaya on either side of the door. The thick wooden door is covered with gilt plates depicting the dasaavataaram 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. Suprabhaatam is sung in front of this door.

[edit] Medieval history


It was under the regime of the Vijayanagara emperors that the temple attained the majority of its current wealth[3] and size, with the donation of diamonds and gold. The 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, enabling the Vimana (inner shrine) roofing to be gilded. The Maratha general Raghoji Bhonsle visited the temple and set up a permanent administration for the conduct of worship in the temple. Among the later rulers who endowed large benefactions were the rulers of Mysore and Gadwal.

[edit] British Raj history


In 1843, with the coming of the East-India Company, 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 1932, when Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was established as a result of the TTD Act, 1932.

[edit] The temple today


See also: Establishment and legislative setting of TTD

Swami Pushkarni of Tirumala TTD is operated by a Board of Trustees and has increased in size through adoption of various Acts from five (1951) to fifteen (1987). The daily operation 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 average approximately 60,000 pilgrims every day.[4] The popularity of the temple can be judged by its annual budget, estimated at Rs 10 billion in 2008, mostly from donations. Devotees give donations which runs into the millions. 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.[5]

[edit] The White Spot


The white spot on the chin of the Lord will remind us of Sri Ananthazhwar, a disciple of Sri 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. But Ananthazhwar did not like the intrusion and hit Him on His chin with the spade. The lad simply disappeared. Later when Ananthazhwar went to the Temple to worship, he found the Lord bleeding from His chin. Ananthazhwar realised his mistake and profusely apologised to the Lord and applied "Pacha Karpuram" (camphor balming) with fond love. The Lord pardoned Ananthazhwar and said He would sport the Pacha Karpuram for ever in remembrance of Ananthazhwar's love and devotion. Sri Kulasekharazhvvar in his enchanting poetry expressed his desire to be born and reborn only in Tirumala. "Whatever the form! Howsoever mean! Be it a fish or a bush! Shrub or stone!" His only wish is to be associated forever with Tirumala and the Bhaktas. His love for the Lord culminates into passion. The Lord sanctioned his wish. The gold plated step in the Garbhagriha in Tirumala Temple is named "Kulasekharapadi". Kulasekharazhwar is remembered forever. In Kaliyuga, it is said, singing the praise of the Lord is the easiest means to obtain His grace. Lord Srinivasa has been the central theme for many a saint-minstrel. The Alwars were the earliest to be inspired by Lord Balaji. Portions of the Naalayira Divya Prabandham comprising the songs of the Alwars are sung everyday in the presence of the Lord. The Prabandhams and 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. Sri Balaji's influence can be discerned in the thousands of songs sung by another devotee, the famous Purandaradasa. Only a few hundred of his songs are available. 'Daasana Maadiko Enna', 'Nambide Ninna Paadava Venkataramana' are worthy of mention. Sri Venkatesa has made the great Ramabhakta, Sri Tyagaraja, the author of over 4000 songs, also to pour his heart out in intense bhakti for Him. 'Tera Teeyagarada', 'Venkatesa! Ninnu Sevimpanu' are among his well-known Keertanas on the Lord of the Hills. The Lord has enriched the entire approach to Bhakti through medium of music, the easiest way to Him. This has been exemplified by the minstrels through millennia. The devotee has to be eternally grateful to Him for this supreme gift.

[edit] Demographics

Tirumala Map As of 2001 India census,[6] Tirumala had a population of 17,789. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Tirumala has an average literacy rate of 72.8%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 57.1% and, female literacy is 42.9%. In Tirumala, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Day by day population in Tirumala is getting reduced. To provide more facilities to Piligrims, government has planned to shift all locals to Tirupati and the shifting is under progress.

[edit] Language and culture


Telugu is the official language of the town. The second most-widely spoken language is Tamil. Signboards in the town are multilingual in English, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil Hinduism is the major religion here. Dhoti (Pancha/Veshti) and Saree are traditional attire of people here. 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.

[edit] Transport
[edit] On Foot
Pilgrims also reach Tirumala by climbing barefoot through the path starting from Alipiri, near the police check-post for vehicles.[7]

[edit] Road

Tirumala-Tirupati APSRTC Bus

Ambassador Taxi in Tirumala Tirumala has direct bus services to Tirupati with a frequency of a bus in every 2 minutes. There is no transportation services from Tirupati to Tirumala between 12am and 3am. It also has direct buses to Chennai, Bengaluru and Vellore. There are also paid taxis for one who prefer comfort while climbing the hill. Private bus operators ply buses to nearby city Tirupati from Chennai, Hyderabad, Vizag and Bangalore.

[edit] Rail
Tirumala does not have its own rail station. The nearest station is the Tirupati station which is about 26 km from Tirumala. 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. Renigunta junction which lies on the busy Chennai and Mumbai rail route, is just 10 minutes drive from Tirupati town. 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. The Andhra Pradesh Sampark Kranti Express is the only train from Tirupati that connects to Bhopal, Gwalior and New Delhi. It is connected by Chennai sub-urban railways in North-western line. However, the town lacks direct connectivity with important and religious places such as Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Jaipur and Dehradun.

Tirupati Railway Station, with Tirumala hill in the background

[edit] Air
The nearest airport is the Tirupati Airport, about 40 km from the hill top. Tirupati Airport is a domestic airport that has direct flights to Hyderabad, Vizag, Chennai, New Delhi and Bangalore. The airport is located 15 km from the city centre. Closest international airport is located in Chennai which is 130 km from Tirupati. The Tirupati airport is being upgraded to an International Airport and the upgrade process is underway.

[edit] Accommodation
Once in Tirumala, pilgrims can have accommodation in TTD's guest houses. There are many guest houses which can be accessed by paying a rent of 300 per day. Pilgrims can also have a free accommodation by TTD. The process is usually slow and may take a lot of time to complete. The pilgrim has to pay 200 rupees for a day as a caution deposit which will be refunded after he has vacated. Accommodation is also provided by choultries run by various religious establishments, such as Sringeri Mutt, Ahobila Mutt, Sri Raghavendra Mutt, Uttaradi Mutt, Kashi Math etc.

[edit] Panorama

Panorama of Tirumala Hill

Panorama of Tirumala Hill from Srivari Paadalu

[edit] Tourist locations


Other than the Sri Venkateswara Temple, there are places which can be seen in Tirumala.

[edit] AkaaSa Ganga


AkaaSa Ganga (Akasa: Sky, Ganga: Stream ) is a natural waterfall believed to have its source in Lord Vishnu's feet. The sacred water is used daily in Srivari Temple's activities.

[edit] Srivaari Paadamulu

Srivari Paadamulu Srivari Paadamulu (The Lord's Footprints) is believed to be the footprints of Lord Venkateswara, when he first stood on Tirumala Hills. The footprints are located in the highest point of the hill. It is located about 15 km from the temple.

[edit] Natural stone arch


Main article: Natural Arch, Tirumala hills

Natural Stone Arch, Tirumala The Natural Arch is a distinctive geological wonder located 1 km (0.6 mi) North of the Tirumala temple. The Arch is also called Silathoranam in local language (Telugu language: Sila means rock and thoranam means a garland strung over a threshold, connecting two vertical columns or an arch as in this case). The arch measures 8 m (26.2 ft) in width and 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, and is naturally formed in the quartzites of Cuddapah Supergroup of Middle to Upper Proterozoic (1600 to 570 Ma) due to natural erosive forces. The arch is one of the few natural arches or bridges in Asia.

[edit] Paapa Vinaasanam

Paapa Vinaasanam Ganga Temple Paapa Vinaasanam is a temple located approximately 8 km from the Tirumala Temple. It is the last place that a person can visit by road in Tirumala. The temple of Goddess Ganga is said to forgive all the paapam (sins) people have done in their lives until now. There is a dam near the temple which provides electricity to Tirumala, Tirupati and nearby locations. The temple is located inside Sri Venkateswara National Park.

[edit] See also


Tirupati Sri Venkateswara Temple Thiruchanoor

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jun/08ap.htm 2. ^ http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2220/stories/20051007006612400.htm 3. ^ Dr. N.Ramesan (1981). The Tirumala Temple. Tirumala: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. 4. ^ "CNN-IBN - Tirumala, the epicentre of faith". http://www.ibnlive.com/news/tirumalathe-epicentre-of-faith/25092-3.html. 5. ^ "TTD-social service activities". http://www.tirumala.org/activities_main.htm. 6. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.ph p?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 7. ^ Mulgund, Shreyas. "Tirupati to Tirumala on Foot". Official Website of Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams. Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams. http://www.tirumala.org/travel_tptm_foot.htm. Retrieved 28 September 2011.

Tirumala is a hill town in Chittoor district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Tirumala is a first-most divine pilgrim center of Hindu/Vedha Religion, popularly known as Sri Venkateswara Temple, which is dedicated for the Supreme God Shri mann Narayana/Maha Vishnu. As Rama Avathara/Krishna Avathara are known as Vibhava avathara of the God, the Sri Rengam/Tirumala/Badrinath are the existing places of Archavatharas of the Supreme God. The Tirumala Hill is 3,200 feet (980 m) above sea level and is about 10.33 square miles (26.8 km2) in area. It comprises seven peaks representing the seven hoods of Adisesha, thus earning the name Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri. The sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara[1] is on the seventh peak, Venkatadri (Venkata Hill), and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini.

Tourist locations
Other than the Sri Venkateswara Temple, there are places which can be seen in Tirumala.

AkaaSa Ganga
AkaaSa Ganga (Akasa: Sky, Ganga: Stream ) is a natural waterfall believed to have

its source in Lord Vishnu's feet. The sacred water is used daily in Srivari Temple's activities.

Srivaari Paadamulu

Srivari Paadamulu

Srivari Paadamulu (The Lord's Footprints) is believed to be the footprints of Lord Venkateswara, when he first stood on Tirumala Hills. The footprints are located in the highest point of the hill. It is located about 15 km from the temple.

Natural stone arch


Main article: Natural Arch, Tirumala hills

Natural Stone Arch, Tirumala

The Natural Arch is a distinctive geological wonder located 1 km (0.6 mi) North of

the Tirumala temple. The Arch is also called Silathoranam in local language (Telugu language: Sila means rock and thoranam means a garland strung over a threshold, connecting two vertical columns or an arch as in this case). The arch measures 8 m (26.2 ft) in width and 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, and is naturally formed in the quartzites of Cuddapah Supergroup of Middle to Upper Proterozoic (1600 to 570 Ma) due to natural erosive forces. The arch is one of the few natural arches or bridges in Asia.

Paapa Vinaasanam

Paapa Vinaasanam Ganga Temple

Paapa Vinaasanam is a temple located approximately 8 km from the Tirumala Temple. It is the last place that a person can visit by road in Tirumala. The temple of Goddess Ganga is said to forgive all the paapam (sins) people have done in their lives until now. There is a dam near the temple which provides electricity to Tirumala, Tirupati and nearby locations. The temple is located inside Sri Venkateswara National Park.

Add new comment Last Updated on Friday, 07 October 2011 01:34

Darshan at Sri Venkateswara Temple


Wednesday, 05 October 2011 12:21 About Tirumala

Darshan at Sri Venkateswara Temple

1. Vaikuntam Queue Complex The entrance for darshan is through the Vaikuntam Queue Complex. The complex is a series of inter-connected halls that leads to the main temple. An efficient queue system ensures that pilgrims move in an orderly fashion through the Queue Complex, towards the main temple.

The halls in the Queue Complex are clean, spacious and airy.TTD provides a wide range of facilities in the Queue Complex:

Food is provided for the waiting pilgrims free of cost. Milk, Coffe & Tea provided for waiting pilgrims free of cost. Medical aid Sale of photographs, calendars and other TTD publications Toilets

Closed Circuit Television, through which devotional programmes and music are relayed Cloak rooms near the Vaikuntam Queue Complex entrance Places where footwear can be deposited, free of cost (at the entrance)

There are officers to look after the facilities in the Vaikuntam Queue Complex, regulate the queues and attend to complaints.

2.

Sarvadarsanam

Sarvadarsanam means 'darshan for all'. The timings for Sarvadarsanam are different on different days of the week. Please refer the weekly temple programme for the timings. On normal days, about 18 hours are allotted for Sarvadarsanam and on peak days, it is open for 20 hours.

Around 50,000 pilgrims visit the main temple every day.

3.Special

Entry

Darshan

(Seeghra

Darshan)

The Seeghra Darshanm facility is introduced 0n 21-09-2009 to provide quick Darshan for the Pilgrims. The cost of the Ticket is Rs.300/- per pilgrim. The tickets will be issued at VQC-I in a separate queue line with 4 counters, after taking the tickets, the pilgrims are directly allowed for Darshan. Seeghra Darshan tickets will be issued The Special on darshan all timings are Entry the the Sarva same as that Darshan for timings. Sarvadarsanam. Timings

Darshan

Saturday,Sunday, Monday 4.00am to 5.00am , 7.00am to 6.00pm and 9.00pm to upto Ekantha seva. Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday Friday 08.30am to 01.00pm ,

09.00am to 6.00 pm and 9.00pm to upto Ekanthaseva

10.00am to 6.00pm and 9.00pm to upto Ekanthaseva.

4.

Divya

Darshan

1. Divya Darshan facility is provided for pedestrian who come on foot to Tirumala through Gali Gopuram or Srivari Mettu.

2. Bio-metric counters are established on these foot paths, to facilitate free darshan, free accommodation (P.A.C) and free food facilities at Tirumala.

5.

Sudarshan

token

System

The Sudarsanam token system was introduced to minimise the waiting time for Sarvadarsanam, Special Darshan and other paid darshan/sevas. Some of its features: The tokens Choultry are available (behind 2.Bhudevi 3. 4.Sreenivasam Alipiri in Rs.50/the token Railway at the

1.Second

Station), Complex, Tollgate, Tirupati,

5.Srivari 6. RTC Bus

Sannidhi, stand in

Tirupati, Tirupati,

7.TTD Information centre ,Renigunta (opposite to the Renigunta Railway Station).

The time of darshan is indicated on the tokens.Pilgrims can enter the Vaikuntam Queue Complex at Tirumala at the time indicated on the tokens. . As this system saves on waiting time, it provides pilgrims with enough time to visit temples in the vicinity like Sri Govindarajaswami Temple and Kapila Teertham at Tirupati, Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple at Tiruchanur and Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swami Temple at Srinivasa Mangapuram.To help TTD keep a track of the number of pilgrims and ensure their smooth flow, one token is issued per head. Collective tokens for groups are not issued.Sudarshan tokens to a tune of 5000 perday, Tuesday and Wednesday 2000 perday will be issued from 05:00am

Some precautions for you to take:

Collect your Sudarsanam token only from TTD-run counters. Tokens issued by others are not valid.Do not exchange tokens.

Do not trust touts.

Special

Darshan

for

Physically

disabled

and

Aged

This special darshan is arranged for the physically disabled and the aged, the infants along with parents through a separate gate at the Maha Dwaram,the main temple entrance. If necessary, such pilgrims can be accompanied by an attendant

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