Tirumala Venkateswara Temple

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is located in India
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Location in India
Coordinates:
Name
Proper name:

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
తిరుమల తిరుపతి శ్రీవెంకటేశ్వరస్వామి దేవస్థానము
ತಿರುಮಲ ತಿರುಪತಿ ವೆಂಕಟೇಶ್ವರ ದೇವಾಲಯ
திருமல திருப்பதி ஸ்ரீவேங்கடேஶ்வரஸ்வாமி தேவஸ்தானம்

तिरुमल तिरुपति श्रीवेंकटेश्वर देवस्थानम्
Location
Country: India
State/province: Andhra Pradesh
District: Chittor
Locale: Tirupati
Architecture and culture
Primary deity: Venkateswara (Vishnu)
Important festivals: Brahmotsavam, Vaikunta Ekadasi
Architectural styles: Dravida
Inscriptions: Tamil vetteluthu
History
Date built: Earliest records date to 300 A.D (probable)
Creator: Thondaiman
Temple board: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams
Website: http://www.tirumala.org/

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple (Telugu: తిరుమల వెంకటేశ్వరస్వామి దేవస్థానముKannada: ತಿರುಮಲ ವೆಂಕಟೇಶ್ವರ ದೇವಾಲಯTamil: திருவேங்கடம்) is a famous Hindu temple of Lord Vishnu in the form of Lord Venkateswara located in the hill town Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is situated on Venkatadri, one of the seven hills of Tirumala, and hence is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills (Saptagiri सप्तगिरी in Sanskrit). The presiding deity of the temple, Lord Venkateswara, is also known by other names - Balaji, Govinda and Srinivasa.

The temple is reportedly the richest and the most visited place of worship in the world.[1] The temple is visited by about 100,000 to 200,000 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.[2]

According to legend, the temple has a self-manifested murti (diety) of Lord Venkateswara, believed to have resided there for the entire Kali Yuga. In Sri Vaishnava tradition, the temple is considered one of the 108 Divya Desams.

Contents

Legend

Tirumala temple, showing nighttime lighting

Thondaiman, ruler of the Thondaimandalam (present day Kanchipuram) is believed to have first built the temple after visualizing Lord Vishnu in a dream.

To date, this history is reflected by various Tamil,Telugu,Kannada and Grantha scripts etched on the Temple prakara walls. The Sangam literature of Tamil such as that of Silapadikaram and SatanarManimekalai, dated between 500BC and 300AD, mentions Thiruvengadam (now named Tirupati) by the appellation "Nediyon Kunram" as the northernmost frontier of the Tamil kingdoms. In fact, a fairly detailed description of the deity is given in lines 41 to 51 of book 11 of the Silapadikaram.

Discovery of the Venkateswara deity is described as an act of divine providence: There was a huge anthill at Tirupati, 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 idol of Venkateswara hidden within the anthill.

Srivaishnavite tradition opines that the Rig Veda verse X.155.1 makes an indirect reference to the temple.[3][4] One such translation goes as:[4]

“ The person, devoid of wealth and vision, is implored to go to the hill which burns up all evil (vikata for Venkata) and drives away all obstacles to peace and prosperity. The call of the rishi Sirimbitha has obviously not gone in vain. ”

Thondaiman, ruler of Thondaimandalam in the ancient Tamil nadu (present day Kanchipuram and the sourroundings),[5] is believed to have first built the temple after visualizing Lord Vishnu in his dream. He built the Gopuram and the Prakhara, and arranged for regular prayers to be conducted in the temple. Later on, the Chola dynasty vastly improved the temple and gave rich endowments. To date, the various Tamil Grantha scripts are still seen inscribed upon the temple prakara walls. The Sangam literature of Tamil such as that of Silapadikaram and Satanar Manimekalai, dated between 500BC and 300AD, mentions Thiruvengadam (now named Tirupati) by the appellation "Nediyon Kunram" as the northernmost frontier of the Tamil kingdoms.[6] In fact, a fairly detailed description of the deity is given in lines 41 to 51 of Book 11 of the Silapadikaram.[7] Again, the appellation "Nediyon" for the deity occurs in the following verses:

“ High on Vengadam's towering crest, with

flowing streams in flood,

Betwixt the effulgent glory, of shining Sun and Moon,

Like unto a blue cloud in lightning dresst In all the brilliance of rainbow dight, The Red-eyed great One, majestic stands

In dress of flowery brilliance with garland bright,

One lotus hand with fearsome disc adorned, and milk white conch (the other held).

 ”

Puranic literature which was composed roughly around the post-Mauryan and early-Gupta era also mentions Tirupati as the Aadhi Varaha Kshetra. The Puranas associate the site with Lord Varaha, a Dashavatara of Lord Vishnu. The Varaha shrine holds great importance in Tirupati and is said to be older than the main sanctum of Venkateswara. There is also the Ranga Mandapam, which is to the left side of the temple as one enters. This is where the main deity, Sri Ranganatha Swamy of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Trichy), was protected for a period of almost 60 years during attacks by Malik Kafur in the 14th century.

History

Medieval history

It was under the regime of the Vijayanagara emperors that the temple attained the majority of its current wealth[8] and size, with the donation diamonds and gold. The coronation ceremonies of the emperors were also held at Tirupati. In 1517, Krishnadevaraya, on one of his many visits to the temple, donated gold and jewels, enabling the Vimana (inner shrine) roofing to be gilded. The Maratha general Raghoji Bhonsle visited the temple and set up a permanent administration for the conduct of worship in the temple. Among the later rulers who endowed large benefactions were the rulers of Mysore and Gadwal.

In 1843, with the coming of the East-India Company, the administration of the Sri Venkateswara Temple and a number of shrines was entrusted to Seva Dossji of the Hathiramji Mutt at Tirumala as Vicaranakarta for nearly a century until 1932, when Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was established as a result of the TTD Act, 1932.

Modern history

Swami Pushkarni of Tirumala

TTD is operated by a Board of Trustees and has increased in size through adoption of various Acts from five (1951) to fifteen (1987). The daily operation and management of TTD is the responsibility of an Executive Officer (EO) who is appointed by the government of Andhra Pradesh.

The temple attracts approximately 60,000 pilgrims every day.[9] The popularity of the temple can be judged by its annual budget, estimated at Rs 10 billion in 2008, and comprised mostly of donations. Devotees give donations which runs into the millions. TTD, the organisation running the welfare of the temple, runs various charitable trusts whose funds are derived from the budget and donations from the devotees.[10]

Location of main shrine

TirumalaTemple Entrance
Outside view of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.

Venkateshwara's abode is in the Venkatadri hills near Tirupathi. Thus, the main temple of Venkateshwara is the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The Tirumala temple is believed to be the richest temple in the world. The temple is located in Andhra Pradesh (southern India) in Chittoor district. It is around 500 km (310 mi) from Hyderabad , 150 km (93 mi) away from Chennai and 250 km (160 mi) away from Bangalore

The Tirumala Hill is 3,200 feet (980 m) above sea level, and is about 10.33 square miles (27 km2) in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven hoods of Adisesha, thus earning the name, Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri. The sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara [11] is located on the seventh peak, Venkatadri (Venkata Hill), and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini. The temple complex comprises a smaller traditional temple building along with a number of modern queue and pilgrim lodging sites. There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord in Tirumala.

The varied names ascribed to the main deity are Balaji, Srinivasa, Venkateswara and Venkatachalapathy. The goddess Sri or 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 particular 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).

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 Bhayankaram Annan of Kanchipuram and sung by famous singer M.S.subbulakshmi.[12] Several composers composed beautiful kirtanas about Lord Venkateswara, the most notable amongst them being Tyagaraja and Annamacharya, who composed mostly in Telugu. Annamacharya or Annamayya is a legendary devotee of Lord Venkateswara and composed songs almost exclusively about the deity. More recently, Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari, former Governor-General of India, wrote the song Kurai Onrum Illai, describing the Lord Venkateshwara at Tirumala.

The Temple activities

Vimanam

The roof with shining golden exterior of the inner temple that houses the presiding deity is named "Vimanam" in a Hindu temple. In the Tirumala temple, it holds a very special place as the Ananda Nilayam (meaning Abode of Happiness or Bliss literally) with its imposing view, magnificence, and readily recognizable identity to any devotee familiar with the temple and its fame.

Bangaru Vakili

From the Tirumamani Mandapam, you can enter the Bangaru Vakili to reach the inner sanctum sanctorum. There are two tall copper images of the dwarapalakas Jaya and Vijaya on either side of the door. The thick wooden door is covered with gilt plates depicting the Dashavataram of Lord Vishnu. The doorway is directly in line with the Padi Kavali and the Vendi Vakili. It admits pilgrims to the Snapana Mandapam. Suprabhatam is sung in front of this door.

Prasadam

Laddu is the world famous prasadam given at Tirumala Temple.[13] 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 daddojanam (curd rice), pulihora(tamarind rice), vada and chakkera-pongali (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.[14] 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,[15] bringing over $6 million 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[14]

Darshan and queue system

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

Tirumala possibly has the most elaborate arrangement in India to sequence and guide the visiting devotees through the holy shrine. Because of the ever increasing daily rush of devotees, the temple authorities have set up a virtual queue system, where the devotees are given a specific time, only after which they will be allowed into the queue complex. This has resulted in a steep drop (by a factor of five) in the time that devotees need to spend within the Queue Complex leading to the main temple.

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 children (below 3 years). One other person is usually allowed to accompany the senior or the child 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.[16]

Worship of Lord

Lord Vishnu is Worshiped in the Temple as per Vaikhanasa Bhagvad Shastram, Vimanarchana Kalpam as said by Sage Mareechi. And as per that,Lord Vishnu here should be worshipped 6 times a day.

  1. UshaKala Aradhana - Aradhana or Worship should start and finish before Sunrise
  2. Prathakala Aradhana - Worship should start after sunrise and finish before Noon
  3. Madhyanika Aradhana - Worship should start and finish at noon
  4. Aparahana Aradhana - Worship should start when the sun starts to descend
  5. SandhyaKala Aradhana - Worship should start and finish around the sunset
  6. Ardharatri Aradhana - Worship should start after the horizon is completely dark

All the Aradhana(Worship) is done by Vaikhanasa Priests who are doing the Hereditary services for generations. Only these priests have the right to touch and offer services to the Lord. These set of Archakas are called Mirasidars (Owners & Share holders of the Temple). The 4 families of the Tirumala Temple which are in this Mirasi is

To assist the Archakas in temple work and rituals, Bhagvath Ramanujacharya established a Jeeyar Mattam where in this mattam would take care of the temple work.

As per the Agama followed their, their are 5 idols of Lord inside the Sanctum Sanatorium.

  1. Moolavirat or Dhruva Beram - The main stone idol of Lord Venkateshwara which is Self Manifested is Called as Dhruva Beram (Beram means idol). This Moolavirat or Moolavar or Dhruva beram is about 8ft from toe to crown top and the main source of energy for the Temple. Only because of his powers the entire temple gets the power from.
  2. Kautuka Beram or Bhoga Srinivasa - This is a tiny one foot silver idol,which was offered to the temple in 614 AD by Pallava Queen Samavai Perindevi. This idol was reconstituted to the temple in the series of worship and is regarded as Kautuka Beram. This is idol is popularly known as Bhoga Srinivasa. This is because this idol enjoys all the Bhoga (worldly Pleasures) which the Moolavar has. It is this idol which sleeps in the golden cot every night, it is this idol which receives SahasraKalashabishekam every wednesday. This idol has never come out of the temple from the day it was engaged in daily worship in the temple. This idol is always placed near the left foot of Moolavar and is always connected to the main idol by a holy joint Sambandha Kroocha. This idol is always faced to 45 degrees to the devotees who come to see the Lord. This is because this tiny idol holds a Prayoga Chakra (Ready to strike), so its kept at an angle.
  3. Utsava Beram - This is the form of Lord which comes out of the temple to see his devotees. This idol is called as Malayappa and consorts are Sridevi and Bhudevi. All the 3 idols were found in a Cave called Malayappan Konai in the Holy Tirumala Hills. It happend that Ugra Srinivasa was the Utsava Beram, and frequent fire disasters were happening whenever this idol was taken out. Seeing the misery, all prayed to lord to show a solution where Lord appeared in the dreams and Ordered to find a suitable set of idols which are in the Holy Tirumala hills for the Utsavar. The hunt began and the Villagers who found this Idols called as Malayappa which means the King of the hills. So from then this idol was consorted into the temple worship and was named for Utsavas or Processions. Its only after the inclusion of these idols, the number of programs increased like, Nitya Kalyanaotsavam, SahasraDeepalankara Seva, Arjita Brahmotsavam, Nityaotsvam, Dolotsavam and so on. Jewells worth Millions of rupess came as offering to this idols.
  4. Snapana Beram or Ugra Srinivasa - This idol of lord represents the Anger part of Lord Venkateshwara. He remains inside the Garbhagruha (Sanctum Sanatorium)and comes out only one day in a year that is before the sunrise on Kaishika Dwadasi. Snapana means Abhishekam or cleansing the idol with holy waters and milk,curds,ghee,Sandle wood paste,turmaric and so on. Daily this idol receives all this Upacharam or services.
  5. Bali Beram or Koluvu Srinivasa - Bali means the food offering to all the dieties who guard and maintain the directions. In Shastram 8 directions are prominent like, North, North-East, East, South-East, South, South-West, West & North-West. Each direction has AdhiDevata and Dikpala. When food is offered to them, This Lord comes out from the Garbhagruha and accompanies the Archaka who offers the food. But in Tirumala only archakas offer food and Lord stays in Garbhagruha. Koluvu means Durbar (Royal Court) which is held every morning where the Panchangam details of Today & Tomorrow are read and explained. Various Utsavas, the income of the previous day is explained to Lord.

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.[17]

The Seven Hills

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

Festivals

Elephants marching during festival at Tirumala

The town celebrates most Vaishnava festivals including Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and Janmashtami with great splendor, while the Brahmotsavam celebrated every year during September is the most important festivals in Tirumala, when it receives millions of devotees over a short span of a week. Other major festivals include Vasanthotsavam (spring festival) conducted during March-April and Rathasapthami (Magha Shuddha Saptami) is another festival, celebrated during February, when Lord Venkateswara's deity is taken on procession around the temple chariots.

Related temples

Tirupati is one of the 108 holy temples in Vaishnavite system and is related to a number of other temples, including the ones in Uppiliappan temple, near Kumbakonam and Varagur temple, near Kumbakonam are considered to be the "divine brothers" of Lord Venkateswara.

This temple was built by ancient King "Thondaman". Ancient Hindu kings were extremely devout and patronised the arts. This temple at Thirupathi was part of a big plan. The ancient vaishnavaites did not want their religion to fade out with time. They built many temples across South India. These temples collectively became known as the Divyadesams. These temples are acclaimed for their historical and architectural significance. Encouraged by the Vaishnavaite saints and scholars, ancient kings built, maintained and donated large sums of money for the upkeep of these temples.

Traditionally Kurubas build temples on top of the mountains and worshiped the Almighty. Lord Venkateswara has strong following from the Backward Castes, who are traditionally Shiva worshipers in south India. Lord Venkateswara has a significant Dalit following also.is a Govindaraya Vishnu temple in the Tirupati town down below the hills with Vishnu in Yoga Nidra with Sridevi and Bhumidevi next to him.

Most of these temples that are related to Tirupathi are found in and around the post-independence state of Tamil Nadu (and a few in Kerala, Karanataka, North India and Nepal as well). Several temples located near Chennai are related to Tirupati namely,

  1. Veera Raghava Swamy temple - Thiruvallur - near Chennai
  2. Lakshmi Narasimhar Temple, Ramapuram, Chennai
  3. Bakthavatsala Perumal Temple - Thiruninravur - near Chennai
  4. Thirupputkuzhi - Midway from Chennai to Vellore, this temple can be seen by the side of the highway. It is the site where Lord Rama finds dying Jatayu, after its battle with Ravana to rescue Sita.
  5. Neervanna Perumal temple - Thiruneermalai village, near Pallavaram, in Chennai
  6. Nithya Kalyana Perumal Temple - Thiruvidandai - Kovalam, near Thiruvanmiyur bus stand in Chennai
  7. Parthasarathy Temple - Thiruvallikeni - located in the city of Chennai
  8. Sthalasayana Perumal Temple - Thirukadalmallai, Mahabalipuram, near Chennai
  9. Thirukkadigai - Sholingur, near Arakkonam, midway between Chennai and Tirupati.

References

  1. ↑ "NDTV Report". http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070026005. Retrieved 2007-09-13. 
  2. ↑ http://www.hindu.com/2003/09/30/stories/2003093003080300.htm
  3. ↑ Srīnivāsadāsa and Alkondavilli Gōvindāchārya. Yatindra-mata-dipikā; or The light of the school of Srī Rāmāmnuja, pp. 16
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sri Ramakrishna Dikshitulu and Oppiliappan Koil Sri Varadachari Sathakopan. Sri Vaikhasana Bhagavad Sastram (An Introduction), pp. 16
  5. ↑ http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2220/stories/20051007006612400.htm
  6. ↑ Silappatikaram, book 8, lines 1, 2.
  7. ↑ S Krishnasvami Aiyangar (1940). A History Of Tirupati, Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam Committee Madras, pp. 96--98
  8. ↑ Dr. N.Ramesan (1981). The Tirumala Temple. Tirumala: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. 
  9. ↑ "CNN-IBN - Tirumala, the epicentre of faith". http://www.ibnlive.com/news/tirumala-the-epicentre-of-faith/25092-3.html. 
  10. ↑ "TTD-social service activities". http://www.tirumala.org/activities_main.htm. 
  11. ↑ http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jun/08ap.htm
  12. ↑ http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2004/07/02/stories/2004070202380400.htm
  13. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Patna/Record_sale_of_Tirupati_laddoos/articleshow/2009475.cms
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Saritha Rai (July 14, 2004). "A Religious Tangle Over the Hair of Pious Hindus". http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/14/world/a-religious-tangle-over-the-hair-of-pious-hindus.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 26 April 2009. 
  15. ↑ Der Spiegel: Hindu Locks Keep Human Hair Trade Humming (19/02/2008)
  16. ↑ http://www.hindu.com/2004/12/19/stories/2004121904090300.htm
  17. ↑ http://www.hindu.com/2000/11/23/stories/0223000n.htm

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