When the Temple of Seven Hills beckons it is Tirupati
Posted On September 14, 2011
Situated in the district of Chittoor in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, lies a temple which is very sacred for the Hindu religion. Nestled in the hills of the Tirumala, this temple at the height of 3200 feet is on one of the seven hills of the Tirumala. Believed to be the seven heads of the Lord Adishesha, the temple of Tirupati is found on the Venkatdri Hill or the Venkata Hill. Very near to Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, the Tirupati temple has a traditional building for the main temple and the number of pilgrims and devotees coming here are in millions.
Today, Tirupati is the richest Indian pilgrim spot and is frequented by anyone who wants to go through this ecstatic experience. Tirupati is visited by almost every Indian and Hindu and is the most visited pilgrimage centre. There are occassions in Tirupati which attract all the devotees and the Brahmotsavam festival held annually is a major attraction.
Lord Venkateswara is the main deity of the Tirupati temple and is believed to be another version of the Indian god Lord Vishnu. He is also worshipped by the name of Govinda, Balaji, and Srinivasa etc. With water tank Sri Swami Pushkarini lying adjacent to the temple the legends related to this temple are many. It is believed that the deity is meant to be in this age that is the Kali Yuga as per Indian philosophy. Earlier a part of Tamil Nadu, the temple is replete with a lot of Tamil inscription. Believed to have been transferred to the state of Andhra Pradesh sometime in the 20 the century the temple has had various dynasties like the Pandyan, Vijayanagara, Pallava and Chola existing here. The architecture of the temple is entirely Dravidian and has a lot of history of the Alvar saints glorifying this place as early as the 6th century.
Tirupati is famous for its Vimanam or the tower which rises above with the roof made of gold. The deity is seen inside standing below a dome made of gold. This is called the Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana. This deity is called the Mulaberam and is said to have originated on its own and has no record of any man installing it. The times when the deity is decorated are many and it looks a great spectacle for the devotees to see their favourite deity with gold earrings, the tilaka on the forehead, the wheel of power made of gems, the conch shell on the left fist and with his front hand blessing the world. With the yellow dhoti tied with a gold thread, the devotees get emotional to see their lord looking majestic with his sacred thread and Sri Lakshmi Goddess on the right part of his chest and Sri Padmavathi Devi on the left part. With golden feet and shimmering anklets he looks rightfully a people’s lord.
Tirupati, the land of fortune and luck and the deity is said to be very generous and hence a much favored Hindu pilgrim spot
