About Tirupati
Tirupati City is located in the southeastern part of Andhra Pradesh,
in Chittoor district. It lies about 152-km northwest of Chennai in the
Palkonda Hills. Tirupati is known as the abode of the Hindu god Venkateshvara
(also spelt as 'Venkatesvara'), "Lord of Seven Hills". About
10-km northwest of Tirupati, at an elevation of 750m, is the sacred
hill of Tirumala, which was considered very holy. One of the most important
pilgrimage centers in India, the temple draws millions of pilgrims and
is believed to be the busiest pilgrimage centre in the world.(Interactive
map of Tirupati)
History of Tirupati
Sangam literature, the earliest of Tamil literature (dated between 500
B.C to 300 A.D) mentions of Tirupati as Thrivengadam which used to form
the northernmost frontier of the Tamil Kingdoms. Sangam literature such
as Ilango Vadigal's Silapadikaram and Satanar's Manimeghalai bear testimony
to the existence of a shrine at Tirupati. 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. Till today
the Varaha shrine holds great importance in Tirupati and is said to
be older than the main sanctum of Venkateswara.
The Alvars or Vaishnava saints who led the Bhakti or
Devotional movement in South India sung in praise of Lord Venkateswara
as Vishnu. For the centuries to come Tirupati was richly endowed by
the kings and emperors of various dynasties thus owing to its current
reputation as the richest and most opulent temple in the world. The
Imperial Cholas, Hoysalas, the Vijayanagara emperors were just some
of the contributors for building the temple and donating gold and other
ornamanents for the temple. During the invasions, the idol of Sriranganatha,
the deity of Srirangam was brought to Tirupati for safekeeping. To remember
this event a hall in Tirupati is still known as the Ranganatha mandapa.
It was under the regime of the Vijayanagara emperors that the temple
attained its current opulence and size. The emperors of the dynasty
in particular Krishna Deva Raya lavished on the temple numerous objects
of priceless value, ranging from diamond studded crowns to golden swords.
The coronation ceremonies of the emperors were also held at Tirupati.
Places of Interest in Tirupati Lord
Venkateshwara Temple
Tirupati is one of the most important pilgrimage centres in India. It
has the historic shrine of Sri Venkateswara or Balaji, an incarnation
of Vishnu. Also known as the 'Lord of the Seven Hills', the 2m high
standing idol of Venkateswara on a lotus flanked by his consorts Bhudevi
and Sridevi, is believed to grant any wish made in front of it. The
most striking feature of the awe-inspiring black idol is its fabulous
diamond crown, which is said to be the most precious single ornament
in the world. This temple draws millions of pilgrims and is believed
to be the busiest pilgrimage centre in the world. The richest temple
in India, it is a master piece of South Indian Architecture. The Sanctorum
'Ananda Nilayam' has a glittering gold covered 'Vimana' and gold covered
gates guard the sanctum sanctorum. It is considered auspicious to offer
the hair as sacrifice to the deity.
Govindaraja Swami Temple
Located in the heart of Tirupati is Sri Govindaraja Swami Temple,
which was consecrated by Saint Ramanujacharya in 1130 AD. It is built
by the Nayakas, the successors to the Vijayanagar empire. The temple
has an impressive outer gopuram. The inner most gopuram is the earliest
dating from the 14th-15th centuries. The main shrines are dedicated
to Vishnu and Krishna.
Silathoranam
About 1km from Tirumala Temple is a rare naturally formed arch. Believed
to be the source of Lord Venkateswara's idol, the rocks resemble hood
of a serpent, a conch and a discus. It is a geological wonder.
Kodandaramaswami Temple
Located in the heart of the Tirupati town, the Kodandaramaswami
Temple was built by a Chola king in the 10th century AD. The presiding
deities here are Sita, Rama and Lakshmana. The temple of Anjaneyaswami,
which is directly opposite, is a sub-shrine of this temple.
Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple
Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple, is situated about 3-km north at the
foot of the Tirumala Hills. This is the only temple dedicated to Lord
Shiva, in Tirupati. Annual ' Brahmotsavams' and festivals like ' Vinayaka
Chavithi', ' Maha Shivaratri', ' Skhanda Shasthi' and ' Annabhishekam'
are performed in a grand manner. The sacred and beautiful waterfall,
'Kapila Teertham' or 'Alwar Teertham' is located here.
Padmavati Temple
In Tiruchanur, about 3 km south of Tirupati is the temple of goddess
Padmavati, the consort of Lord Venkateswara (Balaji). The large temple
is also known as 'Alamelumangapuram' and it is said that a visit to
Tirumala is fruitful only after visiting the Sri Padmavati Devi temple.
Sri Venkatesvara Museum
This museum is situated at the Sri Govindarajaswamy Temple compound,
Tirupati. This museum contains exhibits of temple arts. The entrance
of the Tirumalai temple exhibits an interesting collection of Indian
musical instruments. The Sri Venkatesvara University Oriental Research
Institute has the collection of stone images, wood and metal images,
pottery, coins and inscriptions.
Chandragiri Palaces and Fort
Located 11 km from Tirupati, in Chittoor district, Chandragiri was the
former capital of the mighty Vijayanagar Empire. The fort here was built
on a 180m high rock. The fortifications, 'Raja Mahal' with its romantic
lily pond and the 'Rani mahal' are well preserved. The Museum in Raja
Mahal contains Chola and Vijayanagara bronzes.
Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami Temple
Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami temple is located 12 km west of Tirupati
at Srinivasa Mangapuram. It is believed that Lord Venkateswara stayed
here after his marriage with Sri Padmavati Devi, before proceeding to
Tirumala.
Sri Prasanna Venkateswaraswami Temple
Sri Prasanna Venkateswaraswami is situated in Appalayagunta, 4-km
from Tirupati. Sri Venkateswaraswami, after marrying Sri Padmavati Devi,
blessed Sri Siddeswara and other sages here.
Srikalahasti
About 60-km from Tirupati, Srikalahasti is situated on the banks of
the Swarnamukhi river at the foot of the Kailasagiri hills. This16th
century town is famous for its 'Kalahasthisvara Temple', one of the
most sacred Shiva shrine and the production of 'Kalamkari' paintings.
The temple is particularly revered for the 'Siva lingam' in white stone.
The shrine of 'Vayu Deva' the Wind God is the only one of its kind in
India. 'Kalamkaris' are brightly coloured hand painted textiles used
as Temple decoration and wall hangings.
Thalakona
Thalakona is a forest located 30-km from Tirupati. Deep in these forests
is a 6m perennial waterfall known as 'Talakona'. It is an enchanting
picnic spot of great scenic beauty.
Horsley Hills
Horsley hills, situated at an altitude of 1,265m is a hill resort located
151-km from Tirupati and named after WD Horsley, who was the collector
of Cuddapah district. Horsley chose this spot for his summer residence.
The place is luxuriously green and cool, with a maximum summer temperature
of 32°C, and minimum of 20°C.
North
India States
