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Situated on the seventh hilltop of Tirumala, and
located about 60 miles south of Amma’s Penusila
Ashram, is the temple of Lord Venkateswara—the
most visited place of worship in the world, and
center of Hinduism.
Lord Venkateswara, or Balaji as He is commonly
known, is a form of Lord Vishnu who out of His
Love for all incarnated in this age, the Kali Yuga,
to uplift and relieve the suffering of humanity. His
name translates as the Destroyer of Sins, and Lord
Venkateswara (left) is praised unequivocally in the
Hindu scriptures as the one who grants all kinds of
wealth, and who can be sought for attaining
moksha, or spiritual liberation.
The murti, or statue, of the Lord found here
stands majestically at 8 feet in height, adorned
with gold and diamond ornaments. More
exceptional yet, the deity itself is Svayambhu, or
self born—no sculptor is credited with creating or
installing the form of the Lord found here, rather
it is a manifestation of the Divine.
Devotees find peace and indescribable bliss in
Lord Venkateswara’s company—it is difficult to
imagine a greater blessing in one’s lifetime than to
behold His glory in Amma’s Divine Presence.
The Tirumala Venkateswara Swamy Temple houses the awe-inspiring Deity and
is located on the Venkatadri hilltop, which is believed to be part of a celestial
mountain brought to the earth from Lord Vishnu’s heavenly realm, Vaikunta.
The ancient shrine has its roots in Vaishnavism, a sect of Hinduism advocating
the principles of equality and love.
In 2007, the temple surpassed the Vatican as the most visited place of worship,
and today it hosts anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 visitors,
daily—a number which soars up to 500,000 during festival times.
Lord Venkateswara resides in the Garbha Griha , or inner sanctum, of the
temple, where He stands beneath an intricately fashioned, gold-plated dome
called the Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana (right). The gilt dome acts like an
antenna, attracting & transmitting an abundance of cosmic energy to visitors,
charging their bodies with spiritual energy and eradicating their karma.
According to the Sthala Purana and several ancient Indian legends,
Lord Venkateswara is an incarnation of Maha Vishnu, who after
descending to earth meets and weds Padmavathi Devi, a divine
manifestation of the Goddess Maha Lakshmi. In order to finance their
glorious marriage ceremony, the Lord borrows a considerable amount
of money from Kubera, the
most wealthy among the Gods.
Out of remembrance for this
divine wedding and to repay the
Lord’s loan, visitors to the
temple often leave gifts or make
deposits in the Temple’s Hundi,
or donation pot.
Throughout the ages, rulers from
each of the southern
subcontinent’s great dynasties
paid homage at the Lord’s shrine.
Their substantial offerings of
gold and diamonds contributed to the temple’s current status as one
of the world’s richest places of worship.
The base of the temple’s gold-plated Dhvajastambha, or banner post,
can be found illuminated by the glow from hundreds of ghee lamps
(right). And on occasion, a bejeweled Lord Venkateswara is seen
wearing His diamond-studded kiritam, or crown (left).
While the affluence of this spiritual center can be glimpsed in its
material objects, they remain only a symbol of the Lord’s True Wealth.
No visit to this sacred place of pilgrimage is complete without
receiving the blessings of Sri Padmavathi Devi, the consort of
Lord Venkateswara and an incarnation of the Goddess Lakshmi.
As Her name suggests, Padmavathi Devi is said to have been
born out of a lotus blossom near the present-day temple
erected in Her name. Sri Padmavathi Ammavaru Temple can
be found in the town of Tiruchanoor, about 3 miles from the
foot of the Tirumala Hills. This holy site hosts millions of
pilgrims yearly, making it one of the most visited places
dedicated to the ‘Goddess of Wealth’ in all of India.
Festivals celebrating the glory and inexhaustible love of
Padmavathi Devi are held regularly throughout the year. On
Her birthday, She is offered mountains of flowers (right) and a
variety of enchanting gifts from Lord Venkateswara. On other
occasions the Goddess is escorted onto the Padma Sarovaram,
the temple’s holy water tank, by illuminated floats (below).
Cascading down the sacred foothills of
Tirumala, Kapila Theertham emerges from
the picturesque landscape and can be seen
on the way to Lord Venkateswara’s shrine.
These natural waterfalls are named after the
great sage Kapila Maharishi, who is said to
have spent years in meditation and worship
of the Lord Shiva in a nearby cave. Today the
only Shiva Temple in Tirupati stands at the
entrance to the sage’s cave, and countless
visitors come to wash away their sins in the
adjoining falls.
The vibrant Tirumala countryside abounds with holy
Theerthams , or sacred tanks, waterfalls, and lakes.
Bathing in these holy Theerthams is said to confer a
variety of blessings to the devout and rinse away all kinds
of negativity.
Situated alongside the shrine of Lord Venkatewswara is the
most celebrated Theertham, the Swami Pushkarini. This
pool of water (below) is believed to have been brought
down from the Heavens and contain the waters of all
holy rivers, including the Ganges. A dip in these celestial
waters has the power to heal the sick, fulfill wishes, and
cleanse sins.
Easily recognized by its imposing seven-story Gopuram
(right), the Govinda Raja Swamy Temple is the home of
Lord Venkateswara’s older brother. The temple boasts
two main shrines—one of which is dedicated to a
reclining Lord Vishnu, for whom the temple is named.
The other hosting Sri Parathasarathi, Lord Krishna as
Arjuna’s Charioteer.
The shrine to Govinda Raja Swamy was consecrated by
Saint Sri Ramanuja in the 1130 AD, however other parts
of the sanctuary date back to the ninth century.
Known for its historical wealth, Chandragiri Fort was
constructed near the start of last millennium and has
since witnessed the rule of many South Indian
dynasties. Chandragiri initially served the Yadavaraya
rulers and later the Vijyanagara kings, as evidenced by
an on-site statue of Krishnadevaraya—the legendary
ruler was also a patron of Lord Venkateswara’s shrine.
The main structure to be found on the hill is the Raja
Mahal, or ‘King’s Palace’ (left). This three-story palace
is an exemplary display of the period’s Hindu
architecture and was constructed from stone, brick,
and lime mortar—completely neglecting use of timber.
The edifice has since been converted into a
museum while maintaining the palace’s regal flair,
promising that visitors to Chandragiri will enjoy
both the ornately fashioned interior as well as the
slue of historic artifacts on display in the fort.
Chandragiri literally means ‘Moon-Hill’ and at
night the center comes alive with a show of lights
(right).
The Queen’s Palace, or Rani Mahal, as well as
the ruins of several temples can be found while
exploring the Chandragiri’s campus.
This mysterious rock arch is one of the only of its kind
in Asia and dates back to the pre-Cambrian age,
suggesting an antiquity of several million years to the
Tirumala Hills. Sila Thoranam (right), as the archway is
known, translates as the ‘garland of stone’ and many
legends hold that the formation has an ethereal
connection to Lord Venkateswara.
The natural spectacle was discovered during excavations
in the 1980’s when the archway connecting two
dissimilar sets of rock was found. There are only two
other known natural rock bridges in the world today of
such great age, and Sila Thoranam is the oldest in India.
The Sri Venkateswara Museum (left) holds a vast
collection of temple artwork, textiles, musical
instruments, divine sculptures, pottery,
photographs and is a storehouse of historic details
for curious visitors to Tirupati.
The Temple’s decorative landscape and gardens
occupy over 450 acres of land across Tirumala and
Tirupati. The gardens meet the extraordinary
demand of providing fresh flowers for the daily
worship in each temple across Tirumala. Flowers
are also supplied for garland-making and used to
decorate the shrines and processional floats of the
God’s at festival times.