Tirumala Venkateswara Temple

Location: Venkatachalam hill, Tirumala, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh.

Few facts:

• also known as the Temple of Seven Hills as Venkatachalam hill is a part of the seven hills of Tirumala
• Lord Venkateswara, is also known by other names - Balaji or Srinivasa or Perumal
• It is the richest and the most visited place of worship in the world
• In Sri Vaishnava tradition, the temple is considered one of the 108 Divya Desam sites
• Sri Venkatachala Mahatyam is the most accepted legend with respect to Tirumala and provides the history of the temple across the various yugas
• Laddu is the most famous prasadam given at Tirumala Temple
• Best Time to Visit – September to February
• Main Festivals – 10 days of Brahmotsavam, Gregorian new-year day.
• Nearest Airport – Tirupati airport (15 kms)
• Nearest Railway station – Tirupati, Reningunta (15 kms

The Legend

Lord Venkateswara or Balaji is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself. It is believed that he came to reside on the southern bank of Swami Pushkarni, a tank which passes by Tirumala.

The seven hills around Tirumala-Tirupati are also known as Sapthagiri after the seven hoods of Sheshnag – the cosmic serpent. The temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatadri. According to one legend, as Saint Ramanuja born in 11th Century AD climbed the seven hills of Tirupati, Lord Srinivas- another name for Lord Venkateswara- appeared before him and gave him his blessings. And after that he is believed to have been blessed to live till the ripe age of 120 years to spread the gospel of Sri Venkateswara.

Tirupati is a result of contributions made by kings during their rule. Every ruler of the southern peninsula have paid homage to Lord Sri Venkateswara in this ancient shrine of Tirupati. 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.

The Brahmotsavam is the most important temple festival celebrated at Tirupati-Balaji and is celebrated annually in September. This festival is especially grand every third year when it is called Navratri Brahmotsavam. On the third day of the Brahmotsavam, the temple car festival called Rathotsavam is held. Both the temple chariot and the Lord are beautifully decorated and taken around the streets of Tirumala.

Festivals in Tirupati

It is believed that Lord Sri Venkateswara enjoys festivals (utsavams), and therefore, every moment in Tirumala is considered a festive occasion. Important festivals areBrahmotsavam, Vinayaka Chavithi, Maha Shivaratri, Skhanda Shasthi and Annabhishekam