Tirupati
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Tirupati is a temple town in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located in the foot hills of Tirumala
The temple of Lord Venkateswara is the richest shrine in the Hindu world, and the temple town of Tirupati is as famous as the sacred Hindu city of Varanasi.
About the Temple
Tirupati is one of the holiest places in Hinduism and is well known as 'Kaliyuga Vaikuntam' by its devotees. Tirupati, or "Aadhi Varaha Kshetra", as it is known in the Puranas (Scriptures on Hindu Mythology), is an important pilgrimage site in the Hindu world, with pilgrims climbing several hills to arrive at the hilltop town of Tirumala where the famous temple is situated.
The enormous temple complex, with the main shrine and dome in solid gold, is dedicated to Vishnu, the second deity of the Hindu Holy Trinity who assumes the role of preserver of the cosmos. In this temple Vishnu resides as Venkateswara, an avatar or incarnation of Vishnu. The goddess Sri, or Lakshmi (Vishnu's consort), resides on the chest of Venketeswara thus he is also known by the epithet Srinivasa (the one in whom Sri resides). The deity is seen by devotees as the Kaliyuga varada, that is the boon-granting lord of Kaliyuga (the fourth age of Hindu horology). Tirupati is held in particular reverence by the Vaishnava sect of southern India, known as the Sri Vaishnava. Sri Venkateswara has another popular name - Tirupati Thimmappa. Tirupati Thimmappa is very much alive in Janapada (Dalits, Adivasi and Backward Castes) culture of south India. When people travel to Tirupati, they chant "Tirupati Thimmappana Padakke Govinda" (in Kannada)or "Yedu Kondala Vada Govinda" (in Telugu) or "Yezhu malaiyaane Govinda" (in Tamil).
Tirupati is the richest religious institution overtaking the Vatican City and is one of the most revered Hindu temples in India. The temple has universal appeal amongst Indians, regardless of regional and linguistic divides.
Tirumala
In Hinduism, Tirupathi is the abode of the Hindu God Lord Venkateswara, and is one of the holiest and most visited shrines in Hinduism. The name is also derived from the Tamil language, with Thiru a reference to God, and Pathi meaning Husband. The temple was built by King Thondaman. It is managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. It is situated in a hilly region in southern Andhra Pradesh.
It is estimated that more that 50,000 people visit the temple everyday; making almost 19 million people in a year. Traditionally, as a display of piety, in order to reach the temple, devotees walk through the 7 medium sized hills that separate it from the city of Tirumala, a journey of 4 hours. Alternatively, it is possible to drive from Tirumala to Tirupati. The temple is open for more than 22 hours in day, and it usually takes anywhere up to 40 hours from the time one reaches the temple, to get a glimpse of the deity.It is estimated that on an average a devotee gets one and half minute to watch the deity.But still it's not stopping the people from visiting the temple.The rate of visitors to the temple is increasing every year by 2-5%.The major attraction of the temple is the well known peaceful and blissful state one experiences when facing the main idol in the 'Ananda Nilaya',sanctum sanctorium.
It is popular among devotees to offer their hair as sacrifice. They also drop their offerings in the form of money, gold, silver or anything they wish in the holy hundi. According to Hindu mythology, all the offerings to Lord Venkateswara count to repay the loan taken by him from Kubera for his marriage expenses which will be repaid completely by the end of Kaliyuga. Among devotees, it is also believed that the Lord here is Swayambhu, meaning that the statue was naturally formed and the Vimana (roof) of the sanctum sanctorum and the shrine are inseparable.
History of the Shrine
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The origins of the site are legendary. Its beginnings are shrouded in great antiquity and its origins are still a matter of scholarly debate. Sangam literature, the earliest of Tamil literature (dated between 500 B.C to 300 A.D), mentions Tirupati as Thiruvengadam which used to form the northernmost frontier of the Tamil Kingdoms. Sangam literature, such as Ilango Vadigal's Silapadikaram and Satanar's Manimekalai, bear testimony to the existence of a shrine at Tirupati. Puranic literature which was composed roughly around the post-Mauryan and early-Gupta era also mentions of Tirupati as the Aadhi Varaha Kshetra. The Puranas associate the site with Lord Varaha one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The Varaha shrine holds great importance in Tirupati and is said to be older than the main sanctum of Venkateswara. While some scholars accept the antiquity of the shrine they believe that the image of Venkateswara was not originally that of Vishnu but of a Buddhist deity, perhaps bodhisattva avalokiteswara. The region of Andhra in which Tirupati is located in was already known for the existence of ancient Buddhist sites of the Satavahana era, namely Nagarjunakonda and Amravati, thus scholars suggest that the ancient site of Tirupati was probably a Buddhist site prior to its transformation into a Hindu one after Buddhism saw its decline in the face of Guptan Hindu Rennaissance. Even up to the time of Ramanuja, the famous Vaishnava scholar of the 12th century, the identity of the deity was still disputed until Ramanuja confirmed it to be Vishnu.
Whatever its origins, it was probably a well established Hindu shrine by the 5th century A.D, henceforth the Alvars or Vaishnava saints who led the Bhakti or Devotional movement in South India sung in praise of Lord Venketeswara as Vishnu. For the centuries to come Tirupati was richly endowed by the kings and emperors of various dynasties thus adding to its current reputation as the richest and most opulent temple in the world. The Imperial Cholas, Hoysalas, the Vijayanagara emperors were just some of the contributors for building the temple and donating gold and other ornaments for the temple. Tirupati survived the Moslem plunder of South India without being plundered by the invading Moslem rulers of Delhi, unlike other temples such as the Meenakshi Sundareswara in Madurai and Srirangam. During the invasions the idol of Sriranganatha, the deity of Srirangam was brought to Tirupati for safekeeping. To remember this event, a hall in Tirupati is still known as the Ranganatha mandapa. It was under the regime of the Vijayanagara emperors that the temple attained its current opulence and size. The emperors of the dynasty, in particular Krishna Deva Raya, lavished on the temple numerous objects of priceless value, ranging from diamond studded crowns to golden swords. The coronation ceremonies of the emperors were also held at Tirupati.
It will be interesting to note that, in the 14th century, the presiding deity of Srirangam was protected in the hills of Tirumala for almost four decades, fearing the Islamic invasion that jolted the temple city of Srirangam.
Tirupati City
Tirupati is a major city located in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The population is 227,657 (agglomeration 302,678) (2001 census). The polpulation as of now as per recent election (Panchayat) is 5.5 to 6 lac.It is a short drive from Chennai (Madras) i.e., nearly 240 kilometers and equally well connected by road, rail other cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore. Aeroplanes from Hyderabad fly twice a week to Renigunta airport, which is nearly 10 kilometers away. Tirupati has a railway station and airport, but preferred mode of transport remains as over night buses from the cities mentioned above. The Pilgrims are provided shuttle buses throughout the day by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam(T.T.D) and Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Service (A.P.S.R.T.C). Tirupati is not only a piligrimage center but an educational hub it is home to several universities like Sri Venkateswara University, Padmavathi Mahila University. Apart from universities it has state government sponsored medical, veterinary, agricultural colleges.
Climate
In summer temperatures may go up to 42 to 45 degrees centigrade, in winter the minimum temperatures will be between 15 and 18 degrees centigrade. Usually summer lasts from March to June. With the advent of monsoons rainy season may start in late July or September.
Festivals
Whilst most Vaishnava festivals such as Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and others, are held with much pomp and glory as like other temples, the Brahmotsavam festival of Tirupati is the most important and greatest festival in Tirupati. It is said that Brahma the creator himself conducts the ceremony in honour of Venketeswara. Brahmotsavam is usually performed during the sacred Navarathri or Dusshera festival season. The image of the deity is carried out in procession on various vahanas or vehicles everyday. Many artist groups accompany the idol in procession either singing the praise of the Lord or performing a dance in His praise. On the final day of Brahmotsavam, the Lord is seated on a Gold chariot that is taken in procession in the 4 mada streets surrounding the temple. This chariot is drawn by the scores of devotees assembles to have a glimpse of the Lord.
- Rathasapthami is a special occasion in Tirumala. On that day Lord Venkateswara will be moving in 7 chariots. It is celebrated on Magha Shuddha Saptami (Comes around Feb). Details of it are at RathaSaptami
No mention of Tirupati would be complete without mentioning tonsuring as a symbol of devotion to God. A good number of devotees who visits this shrine have their head tonsured irrespective of age, sex and race. One can easily identify a family if they have been on a pilgrimage to Tirupati by their clean shaven heads. In fact the volume of human hair is so enormous that it is actually sorted out and exported, making India the largest exporter of hair in the world. Tirupati is also well known for its laddu a "prasadam" from the temple.
Some facts
- The Venkateswara temple is managed by a trust called Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
- The temple has a Golden "Vimanam" or Pyramidical roof over the deity.
- The deity has also over 1000 kg of gold and diamond jewellery, making it one of the richest temple treasures.
- TTD maintains 12 temples and their sub-shrines, and employs about 14,000 persons.
See also
- Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams - For the logistics and maintenance of temple
- Alamelu - Nearby Alarmel Mangai Shrine
External links
- TTD website
- TTD E-Services
- TTD News
- History of Tirupati
- Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi
- About Tirupati
- Rayalaseema
- Images of Lord Venkateswara
- Sri Viswaroopa Panchamukha Anjenaya Swami Ashram enroute to Tirupathi
- SVMedicalcollege 1990 batch
- SVMedicalcollge alumni
