Temple

Atop the sacred Tirumala hills stands one of the most popular and the richest pilgrimage destination of India, the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Vaari Temple, dedicated to the holiness Lord Vishnu. The Lord here is believed to save mankind from the troubles of Kaliyug. One of the most-visited religious sites in the world, the temple has been constructed over a period of time starting from 300 AD. The Pallava dynasty of Kanchipuram, the Chola dynasty of Thanjavur, and Vijayanagara rulers were all ardent devotees of Lord Venkateswara. Krishnadevaraya , the Vijayanagara emperor, is considered to have visited the temple and donated diamonds and gold.  Leaders from Kingdom of Mysore and the Gadwal Samsthanam also gave ornaments and valuables to the temple.

Legend

The legend regarding the manifestation of the shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Swamy Temple is spread over various eras. The Chola King was cursed by Lord Vishnu who resided in Tirumala hills that he will be born as a demon. The King pleaded for mercy to  Vishnu who then gave him a blessing that in the next birth, the Lord himself will be married to the King's daughter. Accordingly, the King was reborn as Akasaraja and had a daughter named Padmavati. Srinivasa, the incarnation of Vishnu, married Padmavati and they reside together at the Tirumala hills. Goddess Lakshmi, who was initially upset with the marriage, later accepts the explanation that this incarnation of the Lord is needed to help mankind. She and Padmavati turn themselves into stone idols to always reside with the Lord.

This temple is part of the famous Tirupati Balaji Darshan Yatra.

Architecture

The Tirupati Balaji temple has a Dravidian style of architecture, with a five tiered temple tower with seven Kalasams. There is a second entrance with a three tiered Gopuram. A third entrance leads to Garbhagriha. Jaya-Vijaya, the Dwarapalakas stand on either side. The door has carvings of Dasavatharam. The deity is in a standing posture with four hands; one in varada posture, one placed over thigh and other two holding Shank and Chakra.The idol is adorned with precious jewels and ornaments. The idol bears Goddess Lakshmi on the right chest and Goddess Padmavathi on the left.

Picture courtesy:- commons.wikimedia.org

Darsan Info

Darsan Dresscode

Devotees should wear traditional Indian attire while visiting Tirumala Venkateswara Swamy Temple. Women should wear or salwar/churidar kameez with chunni. Men are required to wear dhoti or kurta pyjama. Western outfits are not allowed in the temple. Also women should not wear any kind of flowers.

Famous Festival

February -  Rathasapthami
March - Ram Navami
April - Vasanthotsavam
September - Brahmotsavam(Sept/Oct)
December - Vaikunta Ekadasi

Culture

Tirumala is the hill town in Tirupati, famous for its pilgrimage centres. It is a temple town and Hinduism is the only religion in the area. Tirupati known as the spiritual capital of Andhra Pradesh, is famous for its laddoo which is the prasadam at the Venkateswara temple.

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Temple Rituals

The priest perform daily rituals like Suprabatam followed by Thomala, Archana and ends with Ekanthaseva to Shri Tirupati Balaji. During Ekanthaseva, a descendant of Saint Poet Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya sings lullabies to put the Lord to celestial sleep. Devotees are not allowed inside the temple during this time.

Special Rituals

At Tirumala Venkateswara Swamy Temple, during the week days there is a specific ritual of worship each day, which has a religious significance. These sevas are called Weekly Sevas. Some of these sevas need years of advance booking. Wedding ceremonies, tonsuring of head, ear piercing etc are conducted.

Additional Info