TIRUMALA VENKATESWARA TEMPLETirumala Venkateswara Temple is a famous Hindu Temples of Lord Venkateswara locted in the hill town Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. The Temple is located on the Venkatachalam hill that forms part of the seven hills of Tirumala and hence the temple is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills (Saptagiri in Sanskrit, Edukondalu in Telugu and Ezhumalai in Tamil). The presiding deity of the temple. Lord Venkateswara is also known by other names - Balaji of Srivivasa of Perumal.
The temple is the richest and the most visited place of worship in the world. The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 1,00,000 pilgrims daily, while on special occasions and festivals, like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 5,00,000 making it one of the most visited holy place in the world.
According to the legend, the temples has a self-manifested idol murti of Lord Vishnu, with the Lord believed to have resided here for the entire Kali Yuga. In Sri Vaishnava tradition, the temple is considered one of the 108 Divya Desam sites.
THE TEMPLE
The Tirumala hills comprising of the seven hills of Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri are the abode of the Tirumala Venkateswara temple. The hill town (Tirumala) and the temple (Venkateswara Temple) are locted on the Seshadri or Seshachalam hill. The temple complex comprises a smaller traditional temple building along with a number of modern queue and pilgrim lodging sites.
The varied names ascribed to the main deity are Balaji, Srinivasa, Perumal, Venkateswara and Venkatachalapathy. The goddess Sri of Lakshmi (Vishnu's consort) resides on the chest of Venkateswara. and thus he is also known by the epithet Srinivasa (the one in whom Sri resides). Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Padmavathi reside on his either chests. The deity is considered the Kali yuga varada, that is 'the boon-granting Lord of Kali yuga' (the fourth and final age of the Hindu cycle of ages). The temple is held in particualar reverence by the Vaishnava sect of southern India, known as the Sri Vaishnava.
For worshippers, the deity Venkateswara symbolises goodness. When people travel to Tirupati, they chant "Yedu Kondala Vada Venkataramana Govinda Govindaa" (in Telugu). "Yezhu Malai Vassa Venkataramana Govinda Govindaa" (in Tamil) or "Tirupathi Thimmappana Padakke Govinda" (in Kannada).
With his conch he creates the cosmic sound from which the creation has manifested. And with his disc he destroys ignorance and ego in the beings, thus liberating them. Lord Venkateswara is believed by followers to be a very merciful deity form of Vishnu, being the fulfiller of every wish made to him by the devotees.
The Holy mantra chanted is Om Namo Venkateshaya. "The Venkateswara Suprabhatam", the morning recital of prayers and songs of awakening, is written by Prativadi Bhayanakaram Annan of Kanchipuram. Several composers composed beautifull kirtans about Lord Venkateswara, the most notable amongst them being Tyagaraja and Annamacharya. Annamacharya is a legendary devotee of Lord Venkateswara and composed songs almost exclusively about the deity.
SRI VENKATACHALA MAHATYAM is the most accepted legend with respect to Tirumala and provides the history of the temple across the various yugas. Of the other legends, the following are most known.
Ranganathaswamy at Srirangam (the main deity) is believed to have manifested on its own without any human endeavour (Swamyambhu)
Discovery of the Venkateswara deity is described as an act of divine providence: there was a huge anthill at Tirupathi, and one day a local farmer heard a voice from the heavens asking him to feed the ants. By chance the local king heard the voice and began supplying milk for the ants himself. His compassion resulted in the liquid uncovering the magnificent deity form of Venkateswara hidden beneath the anthill.
