Tirumala Tirupati Tample
Tample History
Sri Venkatachala Mahatmya is referred to in several Puranas, of which the most important are the Varaha Purana and the Bhavishyottara Purana. The printed work contains extracts from the Varaha Purana, Padma Purana, Garuda Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Markandeya Purana, Harivamsa, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana, Brahmottara Purana, Aditya Purana, Skanda Purana and Bhavishyottara Purana. Most of these extracts describe the sanctity and antiquity of the hills around Tirumala and the numerous teerthams situated on them.
Tample
Tirupati Balaji temple has its
origins in Vaishnavism an ancient religion, which advocates the principles of
equality and love, and prohibits animal sacrifice. The sanctum sanctorum, which
houses the awe-inspiring idol of the Lord of the Seven Hills, is situated in
the main temple complex of Tirumala.
The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on
the seventh peak, Venkatachala (Venkata Hill) of the Tirupati Hill, and lies on
the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini what is known popularly today as
Tirupati Balaji Temple. The main temple complex of temple houses awe-inspiring
idol of the Lord of the Seven Hills and is worshipped by millions of devotees
all over the world. The devotees flock the temple in large numbers and make
offerings in large quantity making it the richest temple in India. The temple
has a long history and has acquired significance in Indian religious lore.
The way to Tirumala Temple by climb It is a 3600 steps, 8 km long
climb, with the steps not uniformly distributed. The initial stageis a 2000
step climb, in a space of 1km. Following that is a 7 km long walk, with a few
steps in-between here and there and a 2km long walk along the road
included, and then a 500 step climb after that. And then u reach the top.
Average time is about 3 and ahalf to 4 hours (if elders are there).
Vishnu in the form of Lord Venkateshwara at Tirumala
Venkateshwara (Sanskrit & Telugu), also known as Venkatachalapathy or
Srinivasa or Balaji, is the supreme God believed to be a form of the Hindu
Deity Lord Vishnu. He appeared in this Yuga Kali Yuga for saving the people who
have fallen deeply and are deluded in three modes of material nature.
Lord Venkateshwara means supreme God who destroys the sins of the people
in this material world . The exact period in which the temple was
founded is not known, and tradition has it that the temple is Swayambhustala,
meaning that it came into existence on its own without anyone constructing
it. Vishnu, in the form of Venkateshwara, is much worshipped at Tirupati
temple. Venkateshwara is the presiding deity at the Tirumala temple complex,
believed to be the richest of all the Hindu shrines in the world. The temple is
situated in southern Andhra Pradesh in Chittoor district. It is around 120 km
away from Chennai. The presence of seven hills influenced alternate names for
the deity: Edukondalavadu in Telugu and as Ezhumalaiyan in Tamil both of which
mean Lord of the Seven Hills. In iconographic depictions, Lord Venkateswara's
eys are covered, because it is said, that his gaze is so intense, it would
scorch the universe
There is ample literary and epigraphic testimony to the antiquity
of the temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara. All the great dynasties of rulers of
the southern peninsula have paid homage to Lord Sri Venkateswara in this
ancient shrine. The Pallavas of Kancheepuram (9th century AD), the Cholas of
Thanjavur (a century later), the Pandyas of Madurai, and the kings and
chieftains of Vijayanagar (14th - 15th century AD) were devotees of the Lord
and they competed with one another in endowing the temple with rich offerings
and contributions.
It was during the rule of the Vijayanagar dynasty that the
contributions to the temple increased. Krishnadevaraya had statues of himself
and his consorts installed at the portals of the temple, and these statues can
be seen to this day. There is also a statue of Venkatapati Raya in the main
temple. After the decline of the Vijayanagar dynasty, nobles and chieftains
from all parts of the country continued to pay their homage and offer gifts to
the temple. The Maratha general, Raghoji Bhonsle, visited the temple and set up
a permanent endowment for the conduct of worship in the temple. He also
presented valuable jewels to the Lord, including a large emerald which is still
preserved in a box named after the General. Among the later rulers who have
endowed large amounts are the rulers of Mysore and Gadwal. After the fall of
the Hindu kingdoms, the Muslim rulers of Karnataka and then the Britishers took
over, and many of the temples came under their supervisory and protective
control. In 1843 AD, the East India Company divested itself of the direct
management of non-Christian places of worship and native religious
institutions. The administration of the shrine of Sri Venkateswara and a number
of estates were then entrusted to Sri Seva Dossji of the Hatiramji Mutt at
Tirumala, and the temple remained under the administration of the Mahants for
nearly a century, till 1933 AD.In 1933, the Madras Legislature passed a special
act, which empowered the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Committee to
control and administer a fixed group of temples in the Tirumala-Tirupati area,
through a Commissioner appointed by the Government of Madras.
Sri Venkatachala Mahatmya is referred to in several Puranas, of which the most important are the Varaha Purana and the Bhavishyottara Purana. The printed work contains extracts from the Varaha Purana, Padma Purana, Garuda Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Markandeya Purana, Harivamsa, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana, Brahmottara Purana, Aditya Purana, Skanda Purana and Bhavishyottara Purana. Most of these extracts describe the sanctity and antiquity of the hills around Tirumala and the numerous teerthams situated on them.
