Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, Tirupati, Andhra
Pradesh
Venkateswara Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to
Lord Vishnu, located in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Chittoor
district of Andhra
Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to
Lord Sri Venkateswara, an
incarnation of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared here to save mankind
from trials and troubles of Kali
Yuga. Hence the place has also got the name Kaliyuga Vaikuntham and Lord here is referred to as Kaliyuga
Prathyaksha Deivam.
The temple is also known by other names like Tirumala
Temple, Tirupati Temple, Tirupati Balaji Temple. Lord Venkateswara is known by
many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The Temple is constructed in
Dravidian architecture and is believed to be constructed over a period of time
starting from 300 AD. The Garbagriha (Sanctum Sanctorum) is called Ananda
Nilayam. The presiding deity, Venkateswara, is in standing posture and faces
east in Garbha griha.
Tirumala Hills are part of Seshachalam
Hills range. The hills are 853
metres (2,799 ft) above sea level. The Hills comprises seven
peaks, representing the seven heads
of Adisesha. The temple lies on the seventh peak -Venkatadri, on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy
water tank. Hence the temple is also referred to as "Temple of Seven
Hills". Tirumala town covers about 10.33 sq. miles (26.75 km2)
in area.
The temple follows Vaikhanasa Agama tradition of
worship. The temple is one of the eight Vishnu Swayambu Kshetras and is listed
as 106th and the last earthly Divya
Desam. The Temple premises had two
modern Queue complex buildings to organize the pilgrim rush, Tarigonda
Vengamamba Annaprasadam complex for free meals to Pilgrims, hair tonsure
buildings and a number of pilgrim lodging sites.
It is the richest temple in the world in terms of
donations received and wealth. 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. In
2016, it was reported that 27.3 million pilgrims visited the temple.
Legends
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History
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The Seven
Hills
The temple is located on seven hills. The presiding deity
is also referred to as Sapthagirisha or Lord of Seven hills. It is
believed that seven hills, also referred to as Sapthagiri, represent the seven
hoods of Adisesha. The seven hills are as follows:
·
Vrushabhadri—Hill of Nandi, the vahana of Lord Shiva
·
Anjanadri—Hill of
Lord Hanuman.
·
Neeladri—Hill of Neela
Devi
·
Garudadri or
Garudachalam—Hill of Garuda, the vahana of Lord Vishnu
·
Seshadri or
Seshachalam—Hill of Sesha, the Dasa of Lord Vishnu
·
Narayanadri—Hill of
Narayana. Srivari Padalu are located here
·
Venkatadri—Hill of Lord Venkateswara
Pathways
to Tirumala
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The
Temple
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Theerthams
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Daily,
Weekly & Annual Sevas / Festivals
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Worship
& Religious Practices
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Religious
Significance
The temple is considered one of the eight Swayambu
Kshetras of Vishnu where presiding deity is believed to have manifested on
its own. Seven other temples in the line are Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple, Bhu Varaha Swamy Temple, and Vanamamalai Perumal Temple in Tamil Nadu and Saligrama in Nepal, Naimisaranya, Pushkar and Badrinath
Temple in North
India.
The temple is revered by Alvars in Divya Prabandham. The temple is classified as a Divyadesam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in
these books. The benefits acquired by a pilgrimage 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.
Literary
Mention
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Notable
Devotees
Ramanuja (1017–1137) was the most
important Acharya of Sri
Vaishnavism. He was responsible for
managing the worshipping procedures and other affairs of the Sri Venkateswara
temple. He established the Pedda Jeeyar Madam. He has a sannidhi inside the
temple. Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya (or Annamayya) (22 May 1408 – 4 April 1503) was
the official song master of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, and a Telugu composer who composed around 36000
Keerthanas, many of which were in praise of Venkateswara, the presiding
deity of the temple.
Tirumala
Tirupati Devasthanams
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Vaikuntham
Queue Complex
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Temples
& Other Places of Interest in Tirumala
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Temples
& Other Places of Interest in & around Tirupati
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Contact
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams,
TTD Administrative Building, K.T. Road,
Tirupati – 517 501,
Andhra Pradesh, India
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Phone No’s, Emails and Call Center Contact Details, please refer below link;
Connectivity
Location
