Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala – Pradakshinams

Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala – Pradakshinams

Circumambulation around Sanctum sanctorum in the temple or deities is called Pradakshinam. There are three circumbulation paths in the temple. They are;

Sampangi Pradakshinam:

The path for circumambulating the temple is called a Pradakshinam. The main temple has three prakarams. Between the outermost and middle prakarams is the second pathway for circumambulation known as the Sampangi Pradakshinam. Currently, this pathway is closed to pilgrims. The prakaram is now used as a major store room inside the temple where behind the cast iron grills. Commodities are stored after they are transported via an escalator from South Mada Street.

Legends say that the prakaram was used earlier to conduct processions of the deities during rainy and trouble some days. In olden days Magnolia champaka Flowers (Sampangi) were grown in this area hence it got the name Sampangi Pradakshinam. The Sampangi Pradakshinam contains several interesting mandapams like the Pratima Mandapam, Ranga Mandapam, Tirumala Raya Mandapam, Saluva Narasimha Mandapam, Aina Mahal and Dhwajastambha Mandapam. Krishna Deva Raya Mandapam.

Vimana Pradakshinam:

The Vimana Pradakshinam is the commonly-used circumambulatory pathway around the central shrine. Vendivakili leads to Vimana Pradakshinam. Vimana Pradakshinam is the area which circumambulates Ananda Nilayam Vimana Gopuram or Sanctum sanctorum or Main Shrine. Angapradakshina Seva will be performed in this area and hence this path is also called Anga Pradakshina Margam. The vimana over the sanctum can be seen from this pathway.

Just after entering the Vimana Pradakshinam opposite to Vendivakili and behind the Garuda Mandapam, there are small idols of Sri Varadaraja Swamy, Sri Ranganatha Swami in sleeping posture over Adisesha and Sri Venkateswara Swamy plated in gold. Vimana Pradakshina includes small shrines dedicated to Varadaraja Swamy Temple to the right of Vendi Vakili facing towards west and Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple to the left of Vendi Vakili also facing west.

Other Rooms include Potu (main kitchen), Bangaru Bavi (golden well), Ankurarpana Mandapam, Yagasala, Nanala (coins) and Notla (Paper notes) Parkamani, Almirah of Sandal paste (Chandanapu Ara), cell of records, Sannidhi Bhashyakarulu - the seat of Sri Ramanuja, Lords’s hundi and the seat of Vishvaksena. Devotees will have darshan of ‘Vimana Venkateswara Swamy’ residing on Ananda Nilayam from Sampangi Pradakshinam. All the small temples in this path way are called ‘Chutttu Gullu’ (Sub-shrines encircling the main shrine).

Mukkoti Pradakshinam:

Mukkoti Pradakshinam is an enclosed pathway for circumambulation that runs around the sanctum and the porch in front of it. In Dravidian terminology, Mukkoti means the Vratham had on this day is equal to three crores time of Vratham followed on any Ekadasi day. The Pradakshinam has walls on three sides only, with the eastern wall missing. Mukkoti Pradakshinam begins at Lord Rama’s mansion that is beyond Ghanta Mandapam in the path way of Vimana Pradakshina. Mukkoti Pradakshinam is opened to pilgrims only twice a year during Mukkoti Ekadasi (in the month of Pausha, Dhanurmasa) and Mukkoti Dvadasi (the following day).

The doors are opened on the night of the eleventh day morning (early hours) after Thiruppavai and closed on the night of the twelfth day (called Margazhi-Tiru-Dvadasi). On that day, the doors of this passage are called ‘Vaikunta Dwara’. On that auspicious day, this passage is fully decorated with flowers and colourful electric lights. Blessed are those who pass these doors on that auspicious day. It is their good luck and fortune to move through these doors.