History of tirumala venkateswara temple | Lord balaji temple history

Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Swamy

“Venkatadri Samam Sthanam Brahmande Nasti Kinchana, Venkatesa Samo Devo Na Bhutho Na Bhavishyati”.

Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple is a landmark vaishnavite temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Lord 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 KaliyugaVaikuntham and Lord here is referred to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam. The temple is also known by other names like Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple, Tirupati Balaji Temple. Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple (Telugu : తిరుమల వెంకటేశ్వరస్వామి మందిరము) (Tamil:தĬ7;ருமலை திருப்பதி வெங்கடேஸ்வரக் கோவில்) is a famous Hindu Temple of Lord Venkateswara located in the hill town Tirumala of Andhra Pradesh. The temple is built on the Venkatadri hill, one of the seven hills of Tirumala, and hence is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills (Saptagiri in Sanskrit,. The presiding deity of the temple, Lord Venkateswara, is also known by other names - Balaji or Srinivasa.

The temple is the richest and the most visited place of worship in the world. The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily, 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.

According to the legend, the temple 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.

Tirumal Tirupati History:

The origins of the temple are shrouded in mystery. The most convincing theory based on stone carvings on the inner walls of the temple suggests that the temple may be upto 2000 years old. Ancient Tamil texts refer to Tirumala as Aadhi Varaha Kshethram and Thiruvengadam. This temple at Tirumala was built by the Pallava king Thondaimaan (Pallavas are Kings from Mamallapuram, just south of modern day Chennai) around the year 800 AD. The term Tirumala is a corruption/Telugu-equivalent for the Tamil word "Thirumalai". After the Pallavas built it, the temple was under the care of the Cholas, Hoysalas, Sri Krishnadevaraya (Vijayanagara Empire) and then the British Empire. Tirupati survived the Muslim invasions of South India, unlike other temples such as the Meenakshi temple in Madurai and Ranganathaswamy temple (DD01 - Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple) in Srirangam. During one such invasion of Srirangam by the Army of Muslim commander Malik Kafur of Allauddin Khilji Ruler of Delhi during the early 13th century AD, the deity of Sri Ranganatha (An earlier incarnation of Vishnu during Tretayuga, he was worshipped by Lord Rama and Lord Brahma) from Srirangam was brought to Tirupati for safekeeping. It is believed that the Idol of Sriranganatha was in Tirumala for about 30 - 50 years. To commemorate this event, a hall in Tirupati is still known as the Ranganatha mandapa. Tirumala thus had the distinction of having the Swayamvyukta deities of two Avatars of Vishnu on its soil at the same time. The deity of Ranganatha was later sent safely back to Srirangam once the Muslim Invaders from the north left. During the 15th century AD, Sri Krishna Deva Raya led the temple to great popularity by donating gold and other ornaments for the temple and constructing extended shrines. Historic evidence points to the fact that the gold plating on the Inner Shrine (Garbhagudi - built originally by the Pallavas) was carried out under the orders of Sri Krishna Deva Raya in the 15th century. The place of Chandragiri, presently a village near Tirupati, was used as the secondary capital of Vijayanagara kings.

Later, the British Indian Government took control of the temple and emphasis was given to make the temple more accessible to all. They laid roads and made the journey to the temple easier than before. The huge gold coin garland that we see dangling from the Lord's neck and almost touching his feet, was presented by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the 2nd. The British Indian Government also established the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board in 1932 AD. This establishment regulates and governs the activities of the temple independently to this day. The contribution of Chief Minister late Sri N T Rama Rao to develop the temple is laudable.

Note: The early history of the temple is associated with Tamil Culture. The temple's telugu identity began after the rule of Sri krishna Deva Raya in the 15th century. One can notice the ancient tamil inscriptions on the older sections of the temple (carved on the stone walls of the Garbhagudi). The earliest references to Tirumala (Tirumalai/Tiruvengadam) were made in ancient Tamil epics like Silappadigaaram. Thiruvengadam was the northern-most frontier of the Pallava kings around 300 BC. The names of the various rituals performed for the Lord are in Tamil. After India's Independence, during the partition of Madras Presidency into Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, there was a trade-off in which Tirupati - Tirumala were ceded to Andhra Pradesh by Tamil Nadu to retain Chennapatnam(Chennai / Madras).

The Seven Hills of tirumala

The seven hill represent the Saptarishi. They sometimes called the Sapathagiri. Hence the Lord is named Saptagirinivasa. Following are the seven hills in order.

1. Vrushabadri ( Hill of Nandi, the vahana of Lord Shiva)
2. Anjanadri ( Hill of Lord Hanuman)
3. Neeladri ( Hill of Neela Devi) - When Lord Balaji was hit by a shepard on his head, a small portion of his scalp becomes bald. There is no hair growth over there and this is noticed by a Gandharva princess Neela Devi. She feels "such an attractive face should not have a flaw". Immediately she cuts a portion of her hair and with her magical power she implants it on his scalp. Then Lord Balaji notices her sacrifice as hair is the beautiful aspect of Female, he promises her that all his devotees who come to his abode should render their hair to him and she would be the recipient of all that hair received. Hence it is believed that hair offered by the devotees is collected by Neela devi.
4. Garudadri ( Hill of Garuda, the vahana of Lord Vishnu)
5. Seshadri ( Hill of Sesha, the dasa of Lord Vishnu)
6. Naraynadri ( Hill of Lord Vishnu)
7. Venkatadri ( Hill of Lord Venkateswara)

Prasadam

Laddu is the world famous prasadam given at Tirumala Temple recently the Trust has taken copy right of Laddu prasaddam, hence, no one can prepare the same Laddu. Many other delicious prasadams are also available including curd rice, pulihora (tamarind rice), vada and chakkera-pongal (sweet pongal). Free meals are given daily to the pilgrims, and on Thursdays, the Tirupavadai seva occurs, where food items are kept for naivedyam to Lord Srinivasa.


Hair tonsuring

Many devotees also have their head tonsured as an offer. The daily amount of hair collected is over a ton. The hair thus gathered is sold by the temple organization a few times a year by public auction to international buyers for use as hair extensions and in cosmetics, bringing over $6M to the temple's treasury.As per puranas hair given by devotees is to coverup the lost hair(it is a very small portion) of lord venkateshwara swamy

Tirumala Temple and Vaikuntam Queue Complex (Semicircular building in the foreground) as seen from Srivari Padalu on Narayanagiri hill 

There are two major kinds of Darshan (meaning "a glimpse of the Lord") at the temple. The first one being Dharma Darshanam - free darshan, which on average takes about 10 hours from the time you enter the Queue Complex. It is worth noting that during a high season (festivals, holidays, weekends and special occasions) Dharma darshanam can take as long as a whole day, while sometimes during low seasons it might take only an hour and can be quicker than any paid darshan. The second major type is Sudarshanam - costs Rs 50 and on average takes about 3 hours. Sheegra darshan - costs Rs 300 and takes only 0.45 - 1.5 hrs for darshan.There are also special queues for senior citizens (above 75 years old) and for people with kids (below 3 years). One other person is usually allowed to accompany the senior or the kid to assist them in the darshan line. Devotees who fall in this category should be sure to inquire with temple officials about the special queue, as it can significantly reduce the time and effort needed for darshan.

Individual devotees for Sudarshanam, as well as free darshanam are required to register (get a ticket/token) at any of the many queue offices situated near the main shrine, or at the local rail and bus stations in Tirumala and Tirupati, or at TTD offices in other key cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai,Delhi,Bhubaneswar and many more. At registration, devotees can choose the expected date and time of entry into the Vaikuntam Queue Complex. At the time of registration, biometrics (finger printing and photo) are taken to eliminate the involvement of middlemen. Devotees contributing for Special Darshan or Puja Darshan tickets are moved up the queue virtually as well as physically inside the temple complex, though all devotees are treated equally from the point of entry into the sanctum sanctorum. During high season (festival periods, holidays, weekends and special temple puja periods) the queues at the ticket offices itself can be quite overwhelming. Hence it is recommended that the devotee get his ticket (if possible) in advance from TTD offices nearest to their hometown and not in Tirupati.

The queue does not literally mean standing - these are huge halls in the queue complex each accommodating about 300 persons, where you can sit (and watch religious programs on a TV which also telecasts rituals from inside the temple). There are toilets, and for those seeking the free Dharma Darsanam, free food (sambar rice / curd rice) and coffee/tea served every couple of hours. Once the gates exiting the halls are opened, the devotee joins the actual queue, and from this point in the queue it might take about 60–90 minutes (standing/walking) to reach the sanctum sanctorum and have Darshan. Typically, one gets to see the idol of the Lord for about 10–15 seconds during high season to about sixty seconds during low season, and there's hustling by the volunteers to ensure that the queue progresses quickly. Despite the endless queues and the long waiting times,it is the faith that gives devotees the patience to keep moving step by step, for hours together, to get that ultimate glimpse of the Lord, before they are urged to move on forward-and-out so as to allow others behind them to have a darshan. That momentary glimpse alone, defying all logic, is worth all the queues, all the heat and the crush of the crowds as they surge towards the inner sanctum.

Arjitha seva (paid services)
Pilgrims can view and participate (in a limited fashion) in the various sevas performed to Dhruva bera (main idol), Bhoga Srinivasa, Sri Malayappa swami and other idols in the temple. 

When pilgrims purchase arjitha seva tickets, they get the opportunity to see a seva performed to the Lord, obtain prasadam in the form of vastram (clothes), akshantalu (sacred and blessed rice) and food articles (laddus, vadas, dosas, pongal, rice items) and a darshan of the utsava murti.

திருப்பதி ஏழுமலையான் கோயில், திருப்பதி

திருப்பதி ஏழுமலையான் கோயில் அல்லது வெங்கடேஸ்வரா கோயில் நாட்டிலுள்ள மிகப்பழமையான புகழ் பெற்ற ஆன்மீக யாத்திரை ஸ்தலமாகும். இது திருவேங்கட மலையின் 7வது சிகரத்தில் வீற்றுள்ளது.

புஷ்கரணி ஆற்றின் தெற்கே அமைந்துள்ள இந்த கோயில் முழுக்க முழுக்க திராவிட பாரம்பரிய கோயிற்கலை கட்டுமான அம்சங்களுடன் நிர்மாணிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. 2.2 ஏக்கர் பரப்பளவில் அமைந்துள்ள இந்த கோயிலின் உள்ளே 8 அடி உயர வெங்கடேஸ்வரர் சிலை பிரதிஷ்டை செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

ஆனந்த நிலைய திவ்ய விமானம் எனும் தங்க பீடத்தின்மீது இந்த சிலை நிறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த விக்கிரகத்தின் கண்களில் ஜொலிக்கும் மாணிக்க ரத்தினக்கற்கள் பொதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

கற்பூரம் மற்றும் குங்குமம் போன்றவையும் இவற்றோடு சேர்த்து பொதிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. ஐதீக ஆசாரங்களின்படி வராஹஸ்வாமியை வணங்கிவிட்டு அதன் பின்னரே ஸ்ரீ வெங்கடேஸ்வரை தரிசிக்க வேண்டும் எனும் நெறி கடைபிடிக்கப்படுகிறது என்பதும் குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

వెంకటేశ్వర ఆలయం, తిరుపతి

శ్రీ వెంకటేశ్వర ఆలయం బాగా పురాతనమైనదీ, యాత్రీకులలో అత్యంత ప్రాచుర్యం పొందినదీ అయిన క్షేత్రం. ఇది వెంకట తిరుమల కొండపై 7 వ శిఖరం వద్ద ఉంది. స్వామి పుష్కరిణి నది దక్షిణాన ఉంది, ఈ ఆలయం సాంప్రదాయ ద్రావిడ నిర్మాణ శైలిలో నిర్మించబడింది. 2.2 ఎకరాల వైశాల్యం లో ఉన్న ఈ ఆలయంలో 8 అడుగుల పొడవైన వెంకటేశ్వర స్వామి విగ్రహం ఉంది.

ఈ విగ్రహాన్ని ఆనంద నిలయ దివ్య విమానంగా పిలువబడే బంగారు తాపడపు శిఖరం కింద ఉంచుతారు, ఈ విగ్రహం కళ్ళు కర్పూర తిలకంతో నింపుతారు, ఈ విగ్రహాన్ని జాతి రాళ్ళతో అలంకరించారు. ఇక్కడి సాంప్రదాయం ప్రకారం ముందుగా వరాహ లక్ష్మీ నరసింహ స్వామిని దర్శి౦చాక వెంకటేశ్వరస్వామి ని దర్శించాలి.

ಬಾಲಾಜಿ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ, ತಿರುಪತಿ

ಶ್ರೀ ವೆಂಕಟೇಶ್ವರ ದೇವಾಲಯ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಪ್ರಾಚೀನ ಹಾಗೂ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಕೇಂದ್ರ. ಇದು ವೆಂಕಟಾ ತಿರುಮಲ ಗುಡ್ಡದ ಏಳನೆ ತುದಿಯಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಪುಷ್ಕರಣಿ ನದಿಯ ದಕ್ಷಿಣಕ್ಕಿದೆ. ಸಾಂಪ್ರದಾಯಿಕ ದ್ರಾವಿಡ ಶೈಲಿಯ ವಾಸ್ತುಶಿಲ್ಪ ಮಾದರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ದೇವಾಲಯ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣಗೊಂಡಿದೆ. ದೇವಾಲಯದ ಒಟ್ಟು ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿ 2.2 ಎಕರೆಯಷ್ಟಿದೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಎಂಟು ಅಡಿ ಎತ್ತರವಾದ ದೇವ ವೆಂಕಟೇಶ್ವರನ ವಿಗ್ರಹವಿದ್ದು, ಚಿನ್ನದ ಲೇಪನವುಳ್ಳ ಡೋಮ್‌ ('ಆನಂದ ನಿಲಯ ದಿವ್ಯ ವಿಮಾನ' ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ) ನಿಂದ ಆವೃತವಾಗಿದೆ. ಮೂರ್ತಿಯ ಕಣ್ಣುಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಕೆಂಪು ಬಣ್ಣದ ತಿಲಕ ಇದೆ. ಈ ತಿಲಕಕ್ಕೆ ಅರೆ ಹರಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಮುತ್ತುಗಳನ್ನು ಅಂಟಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ನಂಬಿಕೆಯ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಶ್ರೀ ವೆಂಕಟೇಶ್ವರ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಭೇಟಿ ನೀಡುವ ಮುನ್ನ ಭಕ್ತರು ವೆಂಕಟಸ್ವಾಮಿ ದೇವಾಲಯಕ್ಕೆ ಭೇಟಿ ನೀಡಿ ಕಾಣಿಕೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಬೇಕು.ಈ ಮನಮೋಹಕ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನವು ಪ್ರಪಂಚದಲ್ಲೆ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತಮಯ ಮತ್ತು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಪ್ರಖ್ಯಾತಿಯ ಯಾತ್ರಾ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲೊಂದಾಗಿದೆ.