Tirupati Balaji
Location :
Tirupati town is 67-km from Chittoor in Chittoor district, the southern
portion of Andhra Pradesh.The most important place of interest at the
place is the historic shrine of Sri Venkateswara, the Lord of Seven
Hills, who is famous all over the country.
About Tirupati Balaji :
The town of Tirupati-Balaji is one of the most sacred places in India.
It is famous for Lord Venkateshwara Deity. The name Tirupati-Balaji
means the 'lord of Lakshmi'. The shrine is located on a hill at
Tirumala, a cluster of seven hills known as Venkatachalam with an
elevation of 853m above the sea level. It is said to be the richest
temple in the world, this temple is a vibrant cultural and philanthropic
institution with a grand history. The architecture of the temple is such
that the Cupola over the sanctorum is covered entirely with gold plate
and is known as "the Ananda Nilayam". The shrine consists of
three 'Prakarams'or enclosures.
Being one of the most revered shrines in the country,
millions of devotees visit the temple to seek to blessings of Lord
Vishnu-the patron deity of the temple. The shrine is a unique example of
the Dravidian architecture. The temple has an exquisitely carved Gopuram
facing the east. The Vimana is completely covered with the gold plate,
Ananda Nilayam. The annual festival, which attracts thousands of
pilgrims from all over the country, is observed in September.
Situated by the side of the temple is a sacred tank, known as Swamy
Pushkarani, where many pilgrims take a holy dip before going to the
temple. The shrine of Varaha Murthy, the original deity of Tirumala, is
situated here.
Rituals Held Daily
Each day pilgrims in thousands throng the temple. They wait patiently
in long queues, offer cash and jewelry and tonsure their heads in
fulfillment of their vows. The view of the deity completely ornamented
from tip to toe is in itself awe-inspiring. Before entering the temple,
devotees have to take a dip in the Pushkarini tank, the waters of which
are considered sacred and highly praised in the Puranas. Devotees
overflowing with bhakti (devotion), with prayer on their lips, move in
single file with hands held high in salutation. The day starts with the
suprabhata darshanam and ends with the ekanta seva when the Lord is put
to bed in a velvet mattress spread over a swing cot suspended by gold
chains.
Getting There :
Air : Tirupati airport is about 15 kms. from the city.
There are direct flights from Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bangalore and
Chennai.
Rail : Tirupati is the nearest railway station. The
city is well connected to all the cities of India.
