“वेंकटाद्रि समं स्थानं ब्रह्माण्डे नास्ति किंचना;वेंकटसा समो देवो न भूतो न भविष्यति”“In the whole Universe, there is no region equal to Venkata HillsAnd neither is nor will be, a deity whose glory can parallel the might of Sri Venkata”- Brahmanada Purana
With a followership that comprises commoners and some of the richest and most influential people of our times, Sri Tirupati Balaji as a powerful and ever-present form of Vishnu in Kaliyuga has gained popularity across the globe. For his devotees, the Sri Kshetra (auspicious region) of Tirumala is “Kaliyuga Vaikuntha” (the abode of Vishnu in Kaliyuga) and Tirupati Balaji is “Kaliyuga Varada” (he who bestows boons in Kaliyuga). The mighty Balaji is “Sat-chit-ananda” – the bliss of supreme, pure consciousness and the essence of devotion and divinity. Let us immerse ourselves in the glory of the Lord of Tirumala, and go on a virtual journey of this sacred land of Vishnu on earth.
“Thiru”- sacred or Lakshmi and “pati”- Lord, is one of the more common epithets for the Lord of Tirumala, but the names with which his devotees call him are innumerable. Venkanna, Venkatachalapathy, Srinivas, Sripathi, Srinivaru, Thiruvengadamudian, Maal Manivannan, Thiruvengadanathan, Thinappa, Venkatarammana, are some of the names of Tirupati Balaji. The name “Venkateshwara”, another popular title, translates into “ven” (to burn), “kata” (past sins), and “he who burns the sins of one’s past” is Sri Venkateshwara. Like Vishnu, who is known as Sri Hari (Hari means “he who steals”, the sins or the fruit of one’s actions), Sri Venkateshwara is revered and celebrated for purifying the soul of the actions of the body and allowing the devotee to start anew on the path of Dharma.
When one begins to walk in Tirupati, the sheer number of temples and sanctums surrounding the main shrine of Sri Tirupati Balaji is awe-inspiring. Tirumala- “the sacred garland” mountain range is divided into 7 peaks which according to Vaishnava beliefs are the 7 hoods of Adi Shesha, the divine serpent of Vishnu. These seven peaks are-
1. Sheshadri or the peak of Shehsa, where Vishnu reclines on his serpent
2. Neeladri or the peak of Neela Devi
3. Garudadri or Garuda’s peak
4. Anjanadri or the peak of Anjani/Hanuman
5. Vrishabhadri or the Hill of Vrishabha (Nandi)
6. Narayanadri or the Hill of Narayana
7. Venkatadri or the abode of Sri Venkata
The path to these hills begins from Alipiri, where Garuda (the bird mount of Vishnu), in a gigantic sculpture, is present, with his hands in Anjali mudra.
There are several powerful shrines of gods and goddesses around the sanctum of Tirupati, which are visited by devotees throughout the year to gain the blessings of the convoy of Balaji. Some of the important temples around Tirupati are-
The deity in this temple is revered as the elder brother of Sri Venkateshwara, present in the shrine in a reclining pose, like Vishnu’s Anantashayana murti. The temple was built by the Vaishnava saint Ramanujan and has several beautiful sculptures and carvings depicting the stories of Hindu Puranas.
This is a Shaiva temple constructed as a remembrance of sage Kapila, who had Shiva’s Darshana in this spot. A temple of goddess Parvati accompanies the Shiva Linga which is the central worshipped icon here. A waterfall named “Kapila Teertha” or “Alwar Teertha” is visited by devotees who take a dip in the sacred water and seek the blessings of Sri Kapileshwarswami.
In this temple dedicated to Kodandadhari Rama (carrying his Kodanda bow), along with Lakshmana and Sita, the main festive celebration is Rama’s visit to the home of Balaji, along with the Brahmotsava and Rama Navami.
Goddess Gangamma is believed to be the sister of Lord Balaji, and the temple celebrates her with great festivities during the Gangamma or Ganga Jatra, a seven-day festival that falls in May.
The wife of Sri Tirupati Balaji, goddess Padmavati (the lotus lady), resides in this shrine. According to Vaishnava beliefs, goddess Lakshmi descended to earth from Vaikunta and performed great austerities while remaining in the water reservoir of this temple. After twelve years had passed, she spouted forth in a golden lotus, earning the water body the name of “Padma Sarovar”, and becoming “Padmavati”.
The hall dedicated to the Paduka or footprints of Venkateshwara, this shrine is visited by devotees with the Paduka or sandals of the god placed on their heads, who perform the Parikrama or circumambulation of the temple before starting their journey to Tirupati.
Narayanavanam- In this spot, Sri Tirupati Balaji married Devi Padmavati. Along with the central images of Tirupati and Padmavati, Andal (the devotee of Vishnu), Prayaga Madhavaswami and Sri Varadarajaswami also reside in this temple.
Srinivasa Mangapuram- Sri Tirupati resides here as “Kalyana Venkateshwara” and is believed to have lived here after his marriage with goddess Lakshmi as Padmavati.
As a Matsya or fish, Lord Vishnu descended into the ocean to protect the Vedas and annihilate the demon Somaka. In this temple, this divine act of Vishnu is remembered, where he is worshipped along with Sridevi (Lakshmi and Bhudevi (the goddess Earth) and a Matsya image near his feet. The shrine was reconstructed under Krishnadevaraya by the inspiration of his mother Nagamamba which is why the place is known as Nagamambapuram.
Venugopala or Krishna with his Venu flute is a popular form in Tamil Vaishnava art and poetry. This is the central icon of the temple, worshipped alongside Rukmini and Satyabhama, the twin wives and chief queens of Sri Krishna.
According to Vaishnava beliefs, this is the place where the episode of “Gajendramoksha” or liberation of the elephant-king by Sri Vishnu took place. The Srimad Bhagavata Purana narrates the story of Gajendramoksha, according to which, the elephant-king was caught by two crocodiles, and freed by Vishnu who came swiftly as an answer to the pleas of his devotee.
Ardha (half), giri (mountain)- this is believed to be the half of Dronagiri mountain, on which Sanjeevani booti (herb) grew, which was carried by Anjaneya or Hanuman to save the life of Lakshmana.
Housing the icons of Pattabhi Rama or King Rama with his wife, brothers, and Hanuman, this temple according to devotional beliefs is located at the spot where sage Valmeeki sat to write the sacred Ramayana.
A temple of Sri Ganesha or Vinayaka, it was first built by the Chola king Kulotunga and reconstructed in the period of Vijayanagar kings. The idol of Sri Vinayak is a marvel of devotion and art and is believed to be expanding in his silver Kavacha or sheath.
Sri Subramanyam Swami or Karttikeya resides here and is believed to have taken rest here after his battle with the Asura Sura Padman. Kumara also married one of his wives, Valli, in this spot.
38 kilometers away from the temple of Tirupati, the river Swarnamukhi flows, which is believed to have changed its path upon the request of the great sage Agastya. This temple of Lord Shiva is popularly worshipped as “Dakshina Kailasha” or the Kailash of South, where the Lord appears in the form of the element of vayu or air (one of the Panchabhoota or five elements), and manifests in the movement of the flame of the sanctum lamp which dances even when no breeze reaches the inner sanctum. One of the shrines associated with this temple belongs to Kannappa, the hunter-devotee of Shiva who attained Moksha at this spot.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple enshrines an idol of Mahadeva which is lying down, in Uma-Parvati’s embrace. This form of Shiva is in the aftermath of his drinking of Halahala. At the spot where Shiva rested after consuming the poison, the temple of Pallikondeshwaraswami was built, where He resides along with goddess Parvati as Markathambika.
In addition to these temples, there are innumerable small and big temples of various deities, who seem to have chosen their respective spots around Sri Vishnu, to assist him in the task of preservation and experiencing the bliss of his Lilas.
Many believe that the Sri Tirumala hill range and its pious nature were first mentioned in the Rig Veda. In the Kamban Ramayana written in Tamil, the Hills are said to unveil the supreme truth and contain the 4 Vedas and all sacred scriptures. Sri Venkatanchala Mahatmya (the glory of Venkatanchala) contains all the stories from the Mahapuranas in which the divinity of Balaji has been narrated. This is also known as Thiruvenkata Mahatmya Teertha, which was collected by Pasindi Venkatatthuraivar (Jiyar Ramanujayyan). Many Puranas, epics, and regional sources are filled with the legends of Tirupati, but the origin of the region in history is a profound mystery.
The Sri Kshetra or holy spot of Tirumala finds mention in the early Tamil sources as “Aruva Nadu” or the land of Aruvalars, a hunting tribe ruled by a mighty chief Puli. After the Mauryan period, the region was under the Satavahanas and then the Pallavas. In the time of the Gupta king Samudragupta, the region slipped away from the Pallavas, but they soon regained control. Pallavas, Cholas, Telugu chieftains of the Pallavas, Pandyas, and Yadavarayas ruled the region, all constructing and reconstructing shrines around Tirupati.
During the medieval period, when South Indian temples including Sri Ranganatha were attacked by Sultanate armies, Tirupati Balaji became the refuge for the idol of Ranganatha and remained protected throughout the period since it was located away from the usual route of the armies. Soon, the Kakatiyas rose in the South and paved the way for the Vijayanagara kings, who took control of Thondaimandalam which included Tirumala.
Devaraya II, a Sangama dynasty ruler was a great devotee of Tirupati Balaji and oversaw the restoration of the Veda Parayanam of the sanctum of Venkateshwara. The last ruler of the Sangama dynasty, Saluva Narasimha Deva was also an ardent follower of Tirupati and remained loyal to the shrine by endowing it with donations and patronage.
The Sangama dynasty was followed by the Saluvas, amongst which Saluva Narasimha Deva was the greatest devotee of Tirupati. Mangideva Maharaja, who offered gold to the Vimana and Shikhara of the Tirupati shrine, was the grandfather of Narasimha Deva, following whose footsteps, he installed the statue of Lakshmi Narasimha at the beginning of the journey path of Tirumala.
Then came the Thuluva dynasty, where Krishnadevaraya was the most powerful ruler, and also a great patron of culture and architecture. Having visited the shrine of Tirupati seven times, Krishnadevaraya donated land and other valued articles to the temple and ensured that the sacred region enjoyed glory and popularity during his time.
After this, a period of battles and confusion followed leading to a rise and fall of ruling families of local chiefs, Sultans, and the Mughal kingdom. It was only in 1740 that the region saw a glimmer of calm when Raghoji Bhonsle, a Maratha defeated the Nawab of Karnataka and visited the shrine of Balaji to show his devotion. He offered several prized offerings to the Lord, and so did Saftar Ali, the son of Nawab, who submitted 50,000 rupees to the treasure of Balaji temple as a peace offering to the Marathas.
In the modern period, following the Anglo-Mysore Wars, Carnatic or Karnataka including the temple and its treasures fell into the hands of the British East India Company. The rituals and offerings to the deity were stopped in the absence of proper resources, but in 1843, the temple was handed over to the priests or Mahantas legally, who as Vicharanakartas carried the task of looking after the temple and serving Balaji for generations. In 1933, the administration of the temple finally came into the hands of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams or TTD who continue to take care of the shrine to date.
As no one can decipher the point of emergence or source of the idol of Tirupati in the sanctum sanctorum, the murti is worshipped as “Svayambhu” or a self-manifest form of the divine. One of the inscriptions on the walls of the temple tells that the wall was constructed by the great king Parikshit, followed by a construction done by his son Janmejaya. The Varaha Purana narrates the story of the “discovery” of the idol of Tirupati by King Thondaiman, who was guided by a parrot and a hunter to the statue of the Lord, placed under a Bilwa tree.
For many, the icon of Tirupati represented both Shiva and Vishnu. One of the great Alwar (Vaishnava saint) Poigai Alwar, witnessed an amalgamation of Shiva-Vishnu in the idol, in the form of Hari-Hara. Annamayya, a popular poet and Bhakta wrote that Tirupati is the Param-Brahman, who lives in the “Antaratma” of each being.
It was Ramanujan, the great Vaishnava saint and philosopher, who placed the attributes of Shiva and Vishnu in the sanctum of Tirupati and asked the devotees to let God choose in which form he would manifest. The doors of the sanctum were closed overnight and in the morning, the icon was seen with the Shankha (conch) and Chakra (discus) of Vishnu, thus affirming the belief of Ramanujan.
Whatever the cultural history and antiquity of the temple might be, for the devotees of Balaji, he represents the manifest and unmanifest, the most beautiful form of the divine. He is the supreme truth which takes a majestic form as the Swami of Tirumala ranges.
Tirupati Balaji (Venkateshvara) Idol - Brass
The story of Devi Padmavati’s descent to Earth, her marriage with Sri Venkateshwara, and the discovery of the establishment of the Sri Kshetra of Tirumala is a well-known legend amongst the devotees of Tirupati. There are, however, many other interesting episodes related to the sacred region of Tirumala, which are full of intrigue and essence of devotion.
In the Vamana Purana, the story of a Brahmin Purandara Somyaji and his son Madhava is told. The son was knowledgable and learned from his pious father, but grew up to be immoral and lived with a lowly woman, engaged in dalliance for twelve years. After she passed away, Madhava was overpowered by pain and roamed around frantically, during which, one day, he happened to see a convoy of a king going on a pilgrimage to the Lord. Joining them, Madhava approached the icon, whose sacred aura transformed into flames of purity and burnt his sins away. Since then, the hilltop has been named “Venkatachala”- the Hill that engulfs all the sins.
According to one legend, when Sri Vishnu was residing, hidden in the region of Tirumala, he was struck in his head by a cowherd and lost a portion of his hair. A Gandharava royal maiden or Kumari, Neeladevi observed this and thought to herself that a face as charming as Balaji’s should not have any faults. Determined to adorn the most beautiful Lord, Neeladevi took some of her hair and placed it on the head of the Lord. Contended by her act of self-sacrifice, Tirupati blessed her and assured her that all hair offered at his shrine would go to Neeladevi.
Another famous belief is that Sri Venkateshwara borrowed from the treasure of the Yaksha king Kubera for his marriage with goddess Padmavati. The hair offered at the shrine is a repayment of that loan, so devotees happily offer their hair after Mundana (shaving the head), and receive the blessings of goddess Lakshmi.
As an answer to the prayers of gods, goddesses, and his devotees, Sri Venkateshwara promised to remain in the region of Tirumala, where a grand shrine or “Ananda Nilayam” was built for the Lord. It is said that the two lamps of the sanctum were established and lit by Bhagwan Brahma for the good and prosperity of humankind. Srinivasa blessed Brahma and assured him that his lamps would spread light till the end of Kali age. Once the lamps are extinguished and the vimana of the temple falls, Srinivasa will return to his heavenly abode. Till today, the divine lamps of Balaji, continue to glow with the aura of Sri Venkateshwara, reassuring his innumerable devotees of his eternal presence.
As the protector and guide and the omnipresent form of Param-Brahaman, Lord Venkateshwara is a manifestation of the ancient Vedic sensibilities of Hinduism, whose true nature and greatness can only be experienced by those who surrender to him with purity and devotion. Fulfilling the material and metaphysical desires of his devotees, Tirupati Balaji is a beam of light that becomes brighter, guiding many in the darkness of Kaliyuga.
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