Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala – History
Tirumala is one of the holiest places for the people of
Hindu faith and is well known as Kaliyuga Vaikuntam. The origin of the site is
legendary. Its beginnings are shrouded in great antiquity and its origins are
still a matter of scholarly debate, even up to the time of Ramanuja, the famous
Vaishnava Scholar of 12'" century, the identity of the deity was still
disputed until Ramanuja confirmed it to be Vishnu. It was probably a
well-established Hindu shrine by 5"' century AD. Henceforth, the Alvars of
Vaishnava saints who led the Bhakti or Devotional movement in South India sung
in praise of Lord Venkateswara as Vishnu.
For centuries Tirupati was richly endowed by the kings
and emperors of' various dynasties. Thus, adding to its current reputation as
the richest and most opulent temple in the world. There is ample literary and
epigraphic testimony to the antiquity of the temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara.
Sri Venkatachala Mahatyam is the most accepted legend with respect to Tirumala
and provides the history of the temple across the various Yugas.
Tirupati was richly endowed by the kings and emperors of
various dynasties. The later Pallavas of Kanchipuram (AD 555-897), Cholas of
Tanjore (AD 850-1279), Pandyas of Madurai (AD 500-1345) and Vijayanagara kings
(AD 1336-1672) were committed devotees of Sri Venkateswara. After the decline
of Vijayanagara Empire, the kings from various states like the kings of Mysore
and Gadwal worshiped the lord. In AD 1843, the temple gave up administrative
authority of Sri Venkateswara temple along with the temple in the village to
the head of Hathi Ramji monastery in Tirumala.
The 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, also made donations towards the temple. Till 1933 the
administration of the temple had been wielded by the head of that monastery
Mahanth. In 1933, the Madras government appointed a Commission to Tirumala
Tirupati Devasthanam through a Special Statutory authority to run the
administration of the temple. In the year 1951, Another Hindu religious and
Endowment Act was passed which facilitated the appointment of an Executive
Officer and Board of Trustees in order to run the administration. The Executive
Officer of this institution was in charge of the administration.
Sri Venkatachala Mahatmya
is referred to in several Puranas, of which the most important are the Varaha
Purana and the Bhavishyottara Purana. Also, it contains extracts from the
Varaha Purana, Padma Purana, Garuda Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Markandeya
Purana, Harivamsa, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana, Brahmottara Purana, Aditya
Purana, Skanda Purana and Bhavishyottara Purana. Most of these extracts describe
the sanctity and antiquity of the hills around Tirumala and the numerous
teerthams situated on them. Puranic literature which was composed roughly
around the post-Mauryan and early Gupta era also mentions of Tirupati as the
Aadhi Varaha Kshetra. The Puranas associate the site with lord Varaha, one of
the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The Varaha shrine holds great importance in
Tirumala and is said to be older than the main Sanctum of Venkateswara.
During Tamil Sangam Period:
Sangam, the earliest Tamil
literature (dated between 500 BC to AD 300) mentions Tirupati as Tiruvengadam
which used to form the northernmost frontier of the Tamil kingdom. Sangam
literature such as Ilango Aadigal's Silapathikaram and Sittalai Satanar's
Manimekalai, bear testimony to the existence of shrine at Tirumala.
Epigraphical Evidences:
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. There is evidence to suggest
that many early inscriptions on the walls of the temples have disappeared
beyond recovery. As many as 640 inscriptions are found engraved on the walls of
the temple. They are published by the Tirumala
Tirupati Devasthanams along with the inscriptions found in other related
temples in and around Tirupati. All the inscriptions are in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.
Additionally, in the
temple, there is a unique collection of about 3000 copper plates on which
the Telugu
Sankeerthanas 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.
The Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas, Telugu Cholas, Kadavarayas, Yadavarayas, 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.
Under Pallavas:
For brief details, please
refer below link;
Under Cholas:
For brief details, please
refer below link;
Under Ramanuja:
For brief details, please
refer below link;
Under Pandyas:
For brief details, please refer below link;
Under
Matli Chiefs:
For brief details, please refer below link;
https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2019/01/venkateswara-temple-tirumala-under-matli-chiefs.html
Under
Yadavarayas:
Under Vijayanagara Kings:
For brief details, please
refer below link;
During 15th Century:
For brief details, please
refer below link;
Under Golkonda Kings:
For brief details, please refer below link;
Under
Carnatic Nawabs:
For brief details, please refer below link;
Under
Todar Mal:
For brief details, please refer below link;
Under Mysore
Rule:
For brief details, please refer below link;
Under
Marathas
For brief details, please refer below link;
Under
French Rule:
For brief details, please refer below link;
Under
British Rule:
For brief details, please refer below link;
https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2019/01/venkateswara-temple-tirumala-under-british-rule.html
Under
Mahants
For brief details, please refer below link;
Under
TTD:
For brief details, please refer below link;
Modern
Times:
For brief details, please refer below link;
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