Tirupati (city)
| Tirupati తిరుపతి | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 | |
  Tirupati | |
| Coordinates: 13°39′N 79°25′E / 13.65°N 79.42°ECoordinates: 13°39′N 79°25′E / 13.65°N 79.42°E | |
| Country |
 India |
| State |
 Andhra Pradesh |
| Region | Rayalaseema |
| District | Chittoor |
| Government | |
| • MLA |
Bhumana Karunakar Reddy (y.s.r.c.p) (Tirupati urban and Renigunta) Aruna Kumari Galla (Tirupati rural and Chandragiri) |
| Elevation | 161 m (528 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 459,985 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Telugu |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Telephone code | 0877 |
| Vehicle registration | AP-03 |
| Website | http://www.tirupaticorporation.org.in/ |
Tirupati is a major pilgrimage and cultural city in the Chittoor district of India. It is the largest city in the Rayalaseema region and also the 4th largest growing city of the Indian state Andhra Pradesh next to Hyderabad, Vizag and Vijayawada. It is located at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats, 65 kilometres (40 mi) from Chittoor, 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Chennai, 250 kilometres (160 mi) from Bangalore and 550 kilometres (340 mi) from Hyderabad.
Tirupati is famous for Venkateswara Swamy temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north west of Tirupati in the Tirumala hills at an elevation of 853 metres (2,799 ft). One of the most important pilgrimage centers in the World, the temple draws millions of pilgrims and is the busiest pilgrimage center in the world.[2] Tirupati has several temples and is a major economical and educational hub in the southern region of the state.
Etymology
'Tiru' means holy or sacred and 'mala' means hills in Tamil translating to holy mountains.[3]
History
There is no clear history on the origin of the temple of Lord Venkateshwara, but it was maintained and upgraded by various kingdoms. These include the Pallava Kingdom around 9th Century AD, Chola Kingdom around 10th century AD and the latest one being Vijayanagara Empire around 14th to 15th century AD. It was during the rule of Vijayanagara Empire that the temple received increased contributions.[4]
The site was an established center of Vaishnavism around 5th century A.D. during which it was praised by Alvars (Vaishnava saints). The temple rites were formalized by the Vaishnavite saint Ramanujacharya himself, in the 11th century AD.[5][6] Tirupati survived the Muslim and British invasions. It is believed that during the invasions the deity of Sriranganatha from Srirangam was brought to Tirupati for safekeeping at Ranga Mandapam.
The Madras legislature passed a special act in 1933 whereby the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) committee was invested with powers of administration and control through a commissioner appointed by the Government of Madras.[citation needed]
Climate
Monsoon remains moderate and summer experiences temperatures ranging from 35 to 40 degrees Celsius. In winter the minimum temperatures will be between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius. Usually summer lasts from March to June, with the advent of rainy season in July, followed by winter which lasts till the end of February.
| Climate data for Tirupathi, India | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.9 (85.8) |
32.8 (91) |
36.7 (98.1) |
39.3 (102.7) |
40.3 (104.5) |
37.8 (100) |
35.7 (96.3) |
34.8 (94.6) |
34.8 (94.6) |
32.7 (90.9) |
30.1 (86.2) |
28.9 (84) |
34.48 (94.06) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 18.7 (65.7) |
20.1 (68.2) |
22.6 (72.7) |
26.2 (79.2) |
27.9 (82.2) |
27.2 (81) |
25.9 (78.6) |
25.5 (77.9) |
25.1 (77.2) |
23.5 (74.3) |
21.7 (71.1) |
19.9 (67.8) |
23.69 (74.66) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 22.0 (0.866) |
19.7 (0.776) |
2.9 (0.114) |
13.9 (0.547) |
45.7 (1.799) |
69.7 (2.744) |
113.0 (4.449) |
118.6 (4.669) |
119.1 (4.689) |
157.5 (6.201) |
218.7 (8.61) |
130.5 (5.138) |
1,031.3 (40.602) |
| Source: Indian Meteorological Department[7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Tirupati is 459,985 and is the 9th most populous urban agglomeration in Andhra Pradesh. The sex ratio of Tirupati city is 969 females per 1000 males.
Language and culture
Telugu is the official language but Tamil is also widely spoken. Hinduism is the major religion and most of the temples in Tirupati are of Dravidian architecture. Dhoti (Veshti/Panche/Mundu) and Sari (Cheera) are traditional attire of people here. Practices of tonsure and using tilaka are very popular among devotees of Lord Venkateswara.
Transport
Road
Sri Hari bus station is one of the largest in the state and has direct bus services to nearby towns and major cities across South India. There is a dedicated bus stand at Alipiri for buses to Tirumala. A number of buses are operated by government operator APSRTC and private operators connecting Tirupati to other major cities and towns such as Chennai, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Bangalore. Due to its proximity with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, buses from KSRTC, TNSTC, SETC also operate to Tirupati.
Railway
Tirupati Main is a major railway station and has five platforms and presently undergoing modernization. Tirupati is well connected to major cities across India especially Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. It is also connected by Chennai sub-urban railways in North-western line. Renigunta junction which lies on the busy Chennai - Mumbai rail corridor, is 15 km away from Tirupati city.
Air
Tirupati Airport is located 15 km from the city center and has flights to Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, New Delhi via Hyderabad. Additionally the airport offers flights to Coimbatore, Kolkata, Mumbai via Hyderabad. The closest international airport is located in Chennai, (Chennai International Airport) which is 130 km (81 mi) from Tirupati. The Tirupati airport is not yet upgraded to an International airport.[8]
Media
Telugu newspapers – Andhra Bhoomi, Saakshi, Eenadu, Vaartha, Andhra Jyothi, Andhra Prabha, Tamil newspapers - Dinamalar, Dinakaran, Daily Thanthi and English newspapers – Deccan Chronicle, The Hindu, Indian Express, The Hans India are also available in the City. Devotional channel SVBC is telecast from Tirumala.
Festivals
The town celebrates all major Hindu festivals including Deepavali, Pongal, Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and Janmashtami with great splendor, while the Brahmotsavam celebrated every year during September is the most important festival in Tirumala when it receives millions of devotees over a short span of a week. Rathasapthami is another festival, celebrated during February, when Lord Venkateswara's idol is taken in a procession around the temple chariots.[9]
Places of interest
Temples
There are many temples in Tirupati and Tirumala. Some of them are:
- Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
- Padmavathi Ammavari Temple,Tiruchanoor (Alamelu Mangapuram)
Gangamma temple, Tirupati
- Varadaraja Swamy Temple near Kapila theertham
- Govindaraja Swamy Temple
- Kodanda Rama Swamy Temple
- Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Srinivasa Mangapuram
- Kapila Theertham, dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati
- Sri Nammalwar Temple [at the entrance of Kapilatheertham]
- ISKCON Lord Krishna Temple
- Yogimallavaram Shiva Temple
- Anjaneya Swamy Temple
- Vanakshamma Temple
- Kalahastheeswarar Temple, Srikalahasti, 40 km from Tirupati
- Venugopala Swamy Temple, Karvetinagaram, 40 km from Tirupati
- Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Narayanavanam, 48 km from Tirupati
- Vedanarayana Swamy Temple, Nagalapuram, about 60 km from Tirupati
- Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Appalayagunta, 20 km from Tirupati
- Agusthyeswara Swamy Temple,Thondawada, 10 km from Tirupati
- Parasurameswara Temple, Gudimallam, 20 km from Tirupati
- Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple, 70 km from Tirupati
Others
- Chandragiri Fort and archeological Museum.
- Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park[10] SV Zoological park is the Second largest zoo park in Asia.[11]
- Regional Science Center and planetarium.
- Jungle Book near Kapila Theertham.
Education
Tirupati is a major educational hub in Andhra Pradesh.Tirupati is home to several colleges including state government and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam sponsored medical, pharmacy, agricultural and engineering colleges.
Entertainment
Sri Mahati Auditorium is a major auditorium owned and operated by TTD used exclusive for cultural and spiritual activities. There are several parks in Tirupati, of which Tirupati Municipal Park is notable, abutting the Kapilatheertham by-pass road in Tirupati. This park is ideal for an evening stroll. Dancing musical fountains here are a special attraction. The Shilparamam (Urban Haat) is located on the Tirupati-Tiruchanur road. This set up jointly by the Central and the State Tourism Departments. It houses a multipurpose auditorium with 600 seating capacity. Also has a boat club. Every Saturday and Sunday cultural programmes are conducted in the evenings. Tirupati has many cinema halls which screen Telugu, Tamil, English and Hindi movies.
Government and politics
Tirupati is a municipal corporation. It contributes a member in central parliament and a member in state legislature in Indian politics. Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) is the planning authority.
- Assembly constituency
List of elected members:
|
List of elected members:[12]
|
Gallery
-
Galigopuram on Tirumala walkway from Tirupati
-
Tirumala ghat road view
-
Sapthagiri Express bus near Tirupati
-
Akasha Ganga in Tirumala
-
Kapil theertam in Tirupati
-
Museum in Tirumala
-
Tirumala Hill view from Tirupati
-
Alipiri entrance way to Tirumala
-
Alipiri part of Gaali Gopuram
-
Footpath to Tirumala
-
Elephants welcoming Lord Srinivasa at Tirumala
-
Kodhandaramaswamy Temple at Tirupati
-
ISKCON Temple at Tirupati
-
Raajamudra of vijayanagar empire at Alipiri Gopuram in Tirupathi
-
.jpg)
New Model Building in Tirupati, India
-
The water fall on the way down the hill near Tirupati
-
Kapilatheertam
-
Upper view of Kapila Theertham waterfalls Tirupathi
-
Padmavathi Ammavari Temple
-
Indian peafowl at SV Zoological Park, Tirupati
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.census2011.co.in/census/city/427-tirupati.html
- ↑ "Tirupati crossed Vatican-The Busiest Pilgrimage centre, Inc – Tirupati". ndtv.com. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
- ↑ http://books.google.co.in/books?id=_fi1AAAAIAAJ&q=tirupathi+tamil+name&dq=tirupathi+tamil+name&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BFUFT_n6N4G0rAe3nv3YDw&ved=0CFwQ6AEwBA
- ↑ "Temple History".
- ↑ "Bhakti Movements".
- ↑ "History of Tirumala".
- ↑ "Climatological Data of Important Cities". Indian Meteorological Department. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
- ↑ "Int’l status for Tirupati airport still a dream". Retrieved 2013-04-29.
- ↑ "Rathasapthami photos". Archived from the original on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/11/stories/2008081159160200.htm
- ↑ http://www.siasat.com/english/news/asia%E2%80%99s-biggest-zoo-beckons-tourists
- ↑ Election Commission of India. APAssembly results.1977–2004
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tirupati. |
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