Tirupati
General Information
Tirupati, at the foothills of tirumala,
is the abode of the Lord Venkateswara
one of the most venerated shrines in
India. One of the oldest temples, it
was patronised by Pallavas, Cholas,
Pandyas and Vijayanagara kings. This
place is also mentioned is the Sastras,
puranas and the Sthalamahattyas. The
range of the Tirumala hills, according
to the Puranas, represents the body
of the serpent Adisesha on which Lord
Vishnu-protector of the world-rests.
The seven hills represent the seven
heads of the serpent. The main temple
is a magnificent example of Indian temple
architecture. The shrine id dedicated
to Lord Vishnu in the form of Varahaswami.
The splendid Vimana over sanctum sanatorium
is plated with gold, as Dhwajasthambam
or temple, is said to be more ancient.
Other famous shrines in Tirupati town
include the Shri Govindarajaswami temple
and the sacred Kapila theertham Tank,
where Lord Shiva is said to have appeared
before the Sage Kapila. The Temple of
Goddess Alivelumanga, the divine consort
of Lord Venkateswara, is at Tiruchanur.
Another temple dedicated to this goddess
is in Sri Mangapuram, 12km from Tirupati.
Chandragiri Fort, stronghold of the
Vijaynagar empire, is 11 km from Tirupati.
It is built on rock, 56 meter high and
dates back to 1000 AD. Within its walls
lie the remains of ancient palaces and
temples. The Tirupati Temple is the
world's richest temple. Shops around
it remain open day night.
The 'holy hill' of Tirumala in the
extreme south of Andhra Pardesh is one
of the most important pilgrimage centres
in India , and is claimed to be the
busiest in the world - eclipsing number
of pilgrims. Tirumala is an engrossing
place where you can easily spend a whole
day just wandering around. It's one
of the few temples in the India which
allows non-Hindus into the sanctum sanctorum
but, despite this the place sees few
foreign visitors.
On the flip side , because it hosts
an army of pilgrims from all over India
everything at Tirumala and at its service
town of Tirupathi , 20 km away, is organised
to keep visitors fed , sheltered and
moving. Most are housed in special pilgrims'
choultries in both Tirupathi and Tirumala.
However, the private hotels and lodges
are in Tirupathi, so fleet of buses
constantly ferries pilgrims up and down
the hill between Tirupathi and Tirumala
from before dawn until well after dusk
Main
Sightseeing of Tirupati
Tirupati Temple : The
ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara
is located on the seventh peak, Venkatadri
Hills on the southern banks of Sri
Swami Pushkarini. Because of this
reason, Lord Balaji has been named
Venkateswara. This is one of the few
temples in India which allows people
of other religious faiths to enter
the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Some ancient texts such as Puranas
and Alwar hyms assert that attaining
mukti (bliss) in Kali Yuga is only
possible through the grace of Lord
Sri Venkateswara.
According to legend, Lord Venkateswara
or Balaji is considered to be an incarnation
of Lord Vishnu himself. It is believed
that he came to reside on the southern
bank of Swami Pushkarni, a tank which
passes by Tirumala. The seven hills
around Tirumala-Tirupati are also
known as Sapthagiri after the seven
hoods of Sheshnag – the cosmic
serpent. The temple of Sri Venkateswara
is located on the seventh peak, Venkatadri.
The history of the temple dates
back to as far as 9th Century A.D,
when Pallavas, the rulers of Kancheepuram,
patronized this shrine. But it was
not until the time of Vijayanagara
dynasty in 15th Century AD that the
temple got recognition, and the contributions
started pouring in. From 1843 AD,
when the Empire started rising in
India till 1933 AD, the administrative
activities of the Tirumala temple
were overseen by Mahants of the Hatiramji
Mutt.In 1933, the Madras government
took over and handed the reins of
administration to an autonomous body
known as the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanam
(TTD) Committee. Again in 1951, the
TTD was reconstituted with a board
of trustees, while an Executive Officer
operated as its administrative head.
According one legend, as Saint Ramanuja
born in 11th Century AD climbed the
seven hills of Tirupati, Lord Srinivas-
another name for Lord Venkateswara-
appeared before him and gave him his
blessings. And after that he is believed
to have been blessed to live till
the ripe age of 120 years to spread
the gospel of Sri Venkateswara.
People are encouraged to visit Tirumala
on the day of Ekadasi in the month
of Vaikunta, at which time all pilgrims
in the abode of God will be forgiven
of all their sins. They also would
definitely attain salvation after
they die, it is believed.
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Excursions
from Tirupati
Horsely Hills
: The famous hill resort in
Andhra Pradesh is 144 km from Tirupati.
Situated at an altitude of 1265 mts.,
Horsely Hills are delightfully cool
and beautiful. The nearest railhead
to Horsely Hills is Madanapalle Road,
43 kms., from the spot. Horsley hills
is an ideal place to visit to beat the
heat of summer. It has a maximum temperature
of 32c and a minimum of 20c in summer.
Horsley Hills are named after W.D Horsley,
collector of Cuddapah district, who
made this beautiful hill resort his
summer residence. From then on, it became
a frequently visited spot. The fresh
and unadulterated air, the beautiful
landscape with lush green vegetation
ensures a perfect peace of mind and
heavenly bliss. As one proceeds towards
the hills one comes across the trees
of Rita, Shikakai, Amla, Beedi, Bay
leaves, Sandalwood, Red sanders, Mahogany
and Bamboo. Besides, there are also
forest denizens like bears, wild dogs,
jungle fowls, Sambar and Panthers. The
Chenchu tribes inhabit Horsley hills
in large numbers. The famous variety
of Pungannur cows, which consume less
fodder and yield more milk are found
here. Another attraction of Horsley
Hills is the 150 year old Eucalyptus
tree. There is a dense growth of Eucalyptus,
Jacaraida, Allamanda, Gulmohar and other
species bordering the narrow road.
Chandragiri Fort : Located
just 20 kms off Tirupati, Chandragiri
Fort is a living testimony to the greatness
of the Vijayanagara empire. Built on
a huge rock about 56 mts. high, the
fort has the remains of palaces and
temples of the Vijayanagar era. Chandragiri
is the former capital of the Vijayanagara
empire. The massive fort in Chandragiri
is built on a huge rock about 56 mt
high. The fort has palaces and temples.
These royal and religious structures
are impressive and attractive with their
towers, arcades, gopuras and verandahs.
The palace named, Raja Mahal is associated
with Venkatapatideva, the Aravidu ruler.
It is an outstanding specimen of the
Vijayanagara palace architecture. It
consists of three storeys. Close by,
there is another palace named Rani Mahal.
It is two storied and the lower storey
served as the gateway. There is a domed
chamber and an arcaded verandah attached
to the upper storey. At end of the village
of Chandragiri is the Kodandarama temple.
Lepakshi Temple : Lepakshi
houses the famous Veerabhadra temple
and the astounding monolothic Nandi,
that has come to symbolize not only
the Shaivite culture in South India
but also the very cultural heritage
of Andhra Pradesh. Easily accessible
from Tirupati, this religious centre
of the finest temple architecture and
paintings. The famous Veerabhadra temple
is built in the Vijayanagara style.
As per local legend, Lord Shiva and
Parvati were married in this temple
at portion called Kalyan Mandapa The
nearest railhead to Lepakshi is Hindupur,
which is 16 kms. away, on the Hyderabad
– Bangalore line.
Prasanthi Milayam,
the main ashram of Shri Sathya Sai Baba,
is in Puttaparthi. Sai Baba's followers
are predominantly Indian but he also
has many western devotees, among them
the founder of the Hard Rock Cafe franchise.
Known as the Adobe of highest Peace,
the ashram is spacious and beautiful
with good food and accommodation- at
least when the numbers aren't overwhelming.
Sai Baba spends most of the year here
but sometimes moves to Whitefields Ashram
near Banglore in neighbouring Karnatka
or Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu during the
hot, dry season.
Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple
: Sri Padmavathi is the goddess
of abundance and prosperity. This temple
is down the hill from the main temple.
There are images of Lord Hanuman the
monkey god, Lord Krishna and others
in the white pillared hall.
Sila Thoranam : Sila
Thoranam is a natural rock formation,
few kilometers up the hill from the
temple. It is the only one of its kind
in Asia. It is believed to be the place,
where the deity Lord Venkateshwara descended
to earth. There are rock impressions
of foot and wheel behind the arch. According
to the mythology, the foot belongs to
Lord Vishnu.
Narayanagiri : The
highest point on Tirumala is called
Narayanagiri. From here, you can have
a panoramic view of the landscape.
Padmavathi Temple : At
the foot of the Tirumala Hill stands
the more modest Padmavathi Ammavari
Temple, dedicated to the consort of
Venkateshwara. Unlike most Hindu temples
where the spouses are worshipped together,
in Tirupathi Venkateshwara and Padmavathi
have separate homes. It is said that
one's pilgrimage to Tirupathi is complete
only after visiting both the temples.
How
to reach Tirupati?
By Air : The nearest
airport is at Renigunta(15 kms) Tirupati
is connected by air with Hyderabad,
Chennai and Banglore.
By Train : Tirupati
is connected by rail with Hubbi, Hyderabad,
Chennai, Kolhapur , Mumbai, Puri, Tiruchirapalli,
Varanasi and Vijayawada.
By Road : Tirupati
is linked with important cities like
Hyderabad (617), Banglore(248), Chennai(151
km), Vijayawada(380 km) and Lepakshi
(379 km).
