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89-462: Traditional The Venkateswara Temple of Tirumala , called Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple , is a Hindu temple situated in the hills of Tirumala at Tirupati Urban Mandal in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh , India. The temple is dedicated to Venkateswara , a form of Vishnu , who is believed to have appeared on the earth to save mankind from trials and troubles of Kali Yuga . Hence

178-729: A lingam . At last he visited Vishnu and the lord acts as if he had not noticed Bhrigu. Getting angered by this act, sage Bhrigu kicked Vishnu in the chest, to which Vishnu did not react and instead apologised to the Sage by massaging his feet. During this act, he squashed the extra eye that was present in the sole of Bhrigu's foot. However Lakshmi finds it as an insult since Vishnu's chest was considered as Lakshmi's residence ( vakshasthala ) and Bhrigu kicked it which indirectly insulted Lakshmi. She then left Vaikuntha and came to Earth to Kolhapur and started meditating. Vishnu bore human form as Srinivasa , left Vaikuntha, in search of Lakshmi, reached

267-779: A day, of which at least one puja is mandatory. Rituals are classified as daily, weekly and periodical. The daily sevas in Temple (in order of occurrence) include Suprabhata Seva, Thomala Seva, Archana, Kalyanotsavam, Dolotsavam (Unjal Seva), Arjita Brahmotsavam, Arjita Vasantotsavam, Sahasra Dipalankarana Seva, Ekanta Seva. Weekly sevas of the Temple include Vishesha Pooja on Monday, Ashtadala Pada Padmaradhana on Tuesday, Sahasra Kalasabhishekam on Wednesday, Tiruppavada Seva on Thursday, Abhishekam and Nijapada Darshanam on Friday. There are no weekly sevas on Saturday and Sunday. Periodical rituals include Jyesthabhishekam, Aaniwara Asthanam, Pavithrotsavam, Koil Alwar Tirumanjanam. The Naalayira divya prabandam

356-582: A day. In the Thulabaram ritual, a devotee sits on a pan of a weighing balance and the other pan is filled with materials greater than the weight of the devotee. Devotees usually offer sugar, jaggery, tulsi leaves, banana, gold, coins. This is mostly performed with newborn babies or children. In the Venkateswara Temple over 433 festivals are being observed in 365 days of a year suiting the title "Nitya Kalyanam Paccha Toranam" where every day

445-508: A meditation centre. Venkateswara Temple is an abode of Venkateswara situated in Tirumala. It is also known as Tirumala Temple. Natural Arch is located north of the temple, which measures 8 m (26 ft) wide and 3 m (9.8 ft) high and was naturally formed from the quartz. Srivari Padamulu (the footprints of Lord) are believed to be the footprints of Venkateswara formed when he first stood on Tirumala Hills. Papavinasanam

534-660: A while. After curse, Chola king took rebirth as Akasharaja and he had a daughter named Padmavati, who was born in the Padmapushkarini situated at present day Tiruchanur in Andhra Pradesh . Srinivasa married Padmavati at present day Narayanavanam in Andhra Pradesh and returned to Tirumala Hills. After few months, Goddess Lakshmi had discovered the marriage of Srinivasa with Padamavati and went to Tirumala hills to question Srinivasa. Srinivasa, unable to bear

623-527: Is 38 kilometres (24 mi) away from Tirumala. The nearest airport is Tirupati Airport , about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Tirumala. It is a domestic and International airport with direct flights to Visakhapatnam and New Delhi . The nearest major airport is the Chennai International Airport , located about 162 kilometres (101 mi) from Tirumala. Kali Yuga According to Puranic sources , Krishna's death marked

712-558: Is Swayambhu (self manifested). As per Vaikhanasa Agamas, Venkateswara is represented by five deities (berams) including the Moolavirat which are together referred to as Pancha beramulu (Pancha means five; Beram means Deity). The five deities are Dhruva Beram (Moolavar), Kautuka Beram, Snapana Beram, Utsava Beram, Bali Beram. All the pancha berams are placed in the Garbha griha under Ananda Nilayam Vimanam . Along with Pancha berams,

801-714: Is a festival. Sri Venkateswara Brahmotsavams , a nine-day event, which is celebrated every year during month of October, is the major event of Venkateswara Temple. During brahmotsavams the processional deity Malayappa along with his consorts SriDevi and BhuDevi, is taken in a procession in four mada streets around the temple on different vahanams. Vahanams include Dwajarohanam, Pedda Sesha Vahanam, Chinna Sesha Vahanam, Hamsa Vahanam, Simha Vahanam, Muthaypu pandiri Vahanam, Kalpavriksha Vahanam, Sarva Bhoopala Vahanam, Mohini Avataram, Garuda Vahanam, Hanumantha Vahanam, Swarna Rathotsavam (Golden Chariot), Gajavahanam, Rathotsavam (Chariot), Ashwa Vahanam, and Chakra Snanam. During Brahmotsavams,

890-468: Is a spiritual place in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh . It is one of the neighbourhoods of the Tirupati city. The town is a part of Tirupati Urban Development Authority and located in Tirupati (urban) mandal of Tirupati revenue division . The town is strictly vegetarian . It is a hill town where Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is located, a popular shrine of Vishnu. Vishnu

979-551: Is a waterfall flowing from a tributary of the Swarnamukhi River. It also has a temple where seven lion-headed channels open from a height for deities to bathe below them. A temple dedicated to goddess Ganga is located near the enclosure. Akaasa Ganga is another natural waterfall in Tirumala. There are two paths to travel on foot from Tirupati to Tirumala. These paths are called Sopanamargas . Devotees ritually take this path to reach Tirumala on foot from Tirupati. Both

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1068-522: Is about 87,000. The annual budget, estimated at ₹25301 million for the financial year 2015–16, runs charitable trusts whose funds are derived from the budget and donations from the devotees. The annual income is estimated at ₹10000 million in 2008. Most of its income is derived from the donations in SriVari Hundi. Devotees donate to the TTD, which runs into millions of rupees. TTD, the organisation running

1157-426: Is above 60,000 devotees, and the number crosses one lakh devotees during the annual Brahmotsavams, Vaikunta Ekadasi, and other festival and holiday seasons. During Dvapara Yuga , Adishesha resided on earth as Seshachalam Hills after losing a contest with Vayu . According to Puranas , Tirumala is regarded as Adivaraha Kshetra. After killing Hiranyaksha , Adivaraha resided on this hill. Venkatachala Mahatyam

1246-558: Is another festival, celebrated during February, when Venkateswara's processional deity ( Malayappa ) is taken in a procession around the temple on seven different vahanams starting from early morning to late night. Other annual festivals include Rama Navami , Janmashtami , Ugadi , Teppotsavam (Float Festival), Sri Padmavati Parinayotsavams, Pushpa yagam, Pushpa pallaki, Vasanthotsavam (spring festival) conducted in March–April, were celebrated with great splendor. Venkateswara Suprabhatam

1335-515: Is appointed by Andhra Pradesh Government. Tirumala hills are part of Seshachalam Hills range. The hills are 853 metres (2,799 ft) above sea level and comprise seven peaks , representing the seven heads of Adisesha . The temple lies on the seventh peak— Venkatadri , on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank. Hence the temple is also referred to as "Temple of Seven Hills". Tirumala town covers an area of about 10.33 sq mi (26.75 km). The temple of Venkateswara

1424-565: Is as follows: Devanagari श्रीमन्नभीष्ट-वरदाखिललोक-बन्धो श्रीश्रीनिवास-जगदेकदयैकसिन्धो । श्रीदेवतागृहभुजान्तर-दिव्यमूर्ते श्रीवेङ्कटाचलपते तव सुप्रभातम् ॥ Telugu script శ్రీమన్నాభీష్ట -వరదఖిలలోక -బంధో శ్రీ శ్రీనివాస-జగదేకదయైకసింధో | శ్రీదేవతాగృహభుజాన్తర-దివ్యమూర్తే శ్రీవెంకటాచలపతే తవ సుప్రభాతం|| IAST śrīmannabhīṣṭavaradākhilalokabandho śrīśrīnivāsajagadekadayaikasindho । śrīdevatāgṛhabhujāntaradivyamūrte śrīveṅkaṭācalapate tava suprabhātam ॥ One with Lakshmi! One who grants boons! Friend of all

1513-609: Is at Tirupati, about 26 kilometres (16 mi) from Tirumala. Tirupati Main railway station is one of the major railway station in the South Central Railway zone of the Indian Railways , providing rail connectivity to major parts of India. It is under the jurisdiction of Guntakal railway division . Renigunta Junction is another important railway station which lies on the Chennai – Mumbai rail corridor

1602-424: Is believed to be a part of Mount Meru , which was brought on to the earth from Vishnu's abode Vaikuntham by his mount Garuda . The seven peaks represent the seven heads of Adishesha or Seven doors of Vaikuntha . As of 2001 India census , Tirumala had a population of 7,741. Males constitute 52 percent of the population and females 48 percent. Tirumala had an average literacy rate of 72.8 percent, higher than

1691-532: Is calculated from 3600 - (476 + 23) + 1 (no year zero from 1 BCE to 1 CE). According to K. D. Abhyankar, the starting point of Kali Yuga is an extremely rare planetary alignment, which is depicted in the Mohenjo-daro seals. Hindu texts describe four yugas (world ages)⁠ in a Yuga Cycle , where, starting in order from the first age of Krita (Satya) Yuga , each yuga's length decreases by one-fourth (25%), giving proportions of 4:3:2:1. Each yuga

1780-487: Is considered a serious offence. Dhotis and Sarees are the traditional popular attire. The practices of tonsure and using tilaka are popular among devotees of Venkateswara . Srivari Brahmotsavams is the most important festival in Tirumala that is celebrated every year during September/October and receives lakhs of devotees over a short span of a nine days. The city celebrates all major Hindu festivals including Sankranti , Ugadi and so forth. Vaikuntha Ekadashi ,

1869-457: Is covered with gilt copper plates and covered with a golden vase. Depictions of several deities are carved over this gopuram. On this gopuram, there is a deity of Venkateswara known as Vimana Venkateswara, which is believed to be exact replica of deity inside the garbhagriha . Venkateswara , an avatar of Vishnu is the presiding deity of the temple . It is believed that the Moolavirat

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1958-593: Is described as having a main period ( a.k.a. yuga proper) preceded by its yuga-sandhyā (dawn) and followed by its yuga-sandhyāṃśa (dusk)⁠, where each twilight (dawn/dusk) lasts for one-tenth (10%) of its main period. Lengths are given in divine years (years of the gods), each lasting for 360 solar (human) years. Kali Yuga , the fourth age in a cycle, lasts for 432,000 years (1,200 divine years), where its main period lasts for 360,000 years (1,000 divine years) and its two twilights each last for 36,000 years (100 divine years). The current cycle's Kali Yuga ,

2047-660: Is eroded out of quartizite of Cuddapah Supergroup of Middle to Upper Proterozoic (1600 to 570 Mya ) by weathering agents such as water and wind. Tirumala has a humid subtropical climate designated Cwa, with dry winters under the Köppen climate classification . As the hill shrine is situated amidst the hills, the temperature will go below 10 degrees in winter. Summers are not as hot here, especially compared to Tirupati. The southwest monsoon season starts from June, but rains are not heavy. Occasionally, thunderstorms form and downpours may persist for hours. Pertaining to orographic relief ,

2136-523: Is found in the Mahabharata , Manusmriti , Vishnu Smriti , and various Puranas . According to P. V. Kane , one of the earliest inscriptions with one of the four yugas named is the Pikira grant of Pallava Simhavarman (mid-5th century   CE): Who was ever ready to extricate dharma that had become sunk owing to the evil effects of Kaliyuga. Other epigraphs exist with named yugas in

2225-459: Is important for a devotee to have darshan of Bhuvaraha swamy temple lying on the northern banks of Swami Pushkarini before having darshan of Venkateswara in the main temple. In 2013, the administration introduced a separate queue for pedestrian pilgrims. Free but limited number of biometric tokens are issued for the pilgrims to access this special queue. Tokens are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The pilgrims can worship Venkateswara on

2314-408: Is located 980 metres (3,200 ft) above sea level and covers an area of approximately 26.8 square kilometres (10.33 sq mi). Surrounding the hills are seven peaks of Seshachalam range, Eastern Ghats namely Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri. The temple of Venkateswara is on the seventh peak ( Venkatadri ). At the 12 km (7.5 mi) point on

2403-487: Is one of the eight Vishnu Swayambhu (self-manifested) Kshetras and is listed as the 75th Divya Desam , one of the 108 temples mentioned in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham . The Temple premises have two modern Queue complex buildings to manage the pilgrim crowd, Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasadam complex for free meals to Pilgrims, hair tonsure buildings and a number of pilgrim lodging sites. The temple

2492-564: Is one of the richest in the world in terms of donations received and wealth. There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the deity in Tirumala. According to one legend, the temple has a murti of Venkateswara, it is believed, which shall remain there for the entire duration of the present Kali Yuga . The total assets of the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, Tirupati, are estimated to be over ₹ 2.5 lakh crore (US$ 30 billion). This includes land parcels, buildings, cash and gold deposits in banks, given as offerings to

2581-460: Is the sanctum sanctorum where the presiding deity Venkateswara resides along with other small deities. The golden entrance leads to the g arbhagriha . There are two more doors in between the bangaruvakili and the garbhagriha . The deity is in a standing posture with four hands in different postures - one in varada posture, one placed over thigh and other two holding the Panchajanya and

2670-427: Is the duration of the first or Krita age. The morning of that cycle consists of four hundred years and its evening is of four hundred years. (21) Regarding the other cycles, the duration of each gradually decreases by a quarter in respect of both the principal period with the minor portion and the conjoining portion itself. Manusmriti , Ch. 1: (67) A year is a day and a night of the gods   ... (68) But hear now

2759-532: Is the first and pre-dawn seva performed to Venkateswara at Sayana Mandapam inside sanctum sanctorum of Tirumala Temple. 'Suprabhatam' is a Sanskrit term which literally means 'Good Morning' and is meant to wake up the deity from His celestial sleep. Venkateswara Suprabhatam hymns were composed by Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Annangaracharya during the 13th century and consists of 70 slokas in four parts including Suprabhatam(29), Stotram(11), Prapatti(14) and Mangalasasanam(16). The thirteenth sloka of Venkateswara Suprabhatam

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2848-407: Is the general queue available to all devotees free of charge. It is the most common and popular type of darshan. Devotees stand in line for several hours, sometimes even overnight, to have a glimpse of Venkateswara. The waiting time can vary depending on the crowd, festivals, and other factors. Special Entry Darshan (Seeghra Darshan): Special Entry Darshan is a paid darshan option introduced to reduce

2937-511: Is the second pradakshinam , which circumbulates the Ananda Nilayam Vimanam . This path has sub-shrines dedicated to Varadaraja and Yoga Narasimha, a potu (main kitchen), a bangaru bavi (golden well), an Ankurarpana Mandapam, a yagashala , Nanala (coins and Notla (Paper notes) Parkamani, Almyrah of Sandal paste (Chandanapu ara), a cell of records, Sannidhi Bhashyakarulu, a hundi, and the seat of Vishvaksena . The garbhagriha

3026-435: Is the second entrance and is provided through Sampangi Prakaram (Inner compound wall). A three storied Gopuram is constructed over Vendivakili with seven Kalasams at its apex. Bangaruvakili (golden entrance) is the third entrance which leads into the garbhagriha . There are two tall copper images of the dvarapalakas Jaya-Vijaya on either side of this door. The thick wooden door is covered with gold gilt plates depicting

3115-547: Is the trust board which oversees and manages the operations of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. It is operated by a board of trustees that has increased in size from five (1951) to eighteen (2015) through the adoption of Acts. The daily operation and management of TTD is the responsibility of an executive officer, who is appointed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh . Based on analysis of data during Jan 2022 – Feb 2024, maximum average daily visitors to Tirumala Venkateswara temple

3204-521: Is the widely accepted legend over Tirumala Temple. During Kali Yuga , Narada advised some sages who were performing yagna to decide who could be given the fruits of yagna among Trimurtis ( Brahma , Vishnu and Shiva ). Bhrigu was sent to test the Trinity. The sage who had an extra eye in the sole of his foot visited Brahma and Shiva and went unnoticed in both these locations. He cursed Brahma to be not worshipped and Shiva to be worshipped as

3293-694: Is under tenkalai tradition, however both traditions are permitted to recite. The Tirupati Laddu is given at Tirumala Temple as prasadam . Tirupati Laddu received the Geographical indication tag which entitles only Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams to make or sell it. Many other prasadams are also offered to Venkateswara and they are classified as Anna-prasadams and Panyarams. Annaprasadams include chakerapongal (sweet), Pulihora (tamarind rice), miryala pongal, kadambham, daddojanam (curd rice). Panyarams include laddu, vada , Dosa , Appam , jilebi , muruku , poli , payasam . Free meals are given daily to

3382-641: Is used by Andhra Pradesh government. The temple bears as many as 640 inscriptions in Kannada , Sanskrit , Tamil , Telugu languages. There is a unique collection of about 3000 copper plates on which the Telugu Sankirtanas of Tallapaka Annamacharya and his descendants are inscribed. This collection forms a valuable source of material for a historical linguist in Telugu apart from its importance to musicologists. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD)

3471-484: The Sudarshana Chakra . The deity is decorated with precious ornaments. The deity bears the goddess Lakshmi on the right chest and the goddess Padmavati on the left. Pilgrims are not allowed to enter the garbhagriha (beyond Kulasekharapadi (path). The Ananda Nilayam Vimanam is the main gopuram constructed over the garbhagriha . This is a three-storied gopuram and has single Kalasam at its apex. It

3560-556: The Dashavatara of Vishnu . The circumambulation around the sanctum sanctorum in the temple or deities is called Pradakshinam . There are two circumbulation paths in the temple. The first one is area between the Mahaprakaram and the sampangiprakaram . This path known as Sampangipradakshinam has many Mandapas , a dvajasthambam , a Bali Pitha , kshetrapalika sila, and a prasadam distribution area. The Vimanapradakhinam

3649-613: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) declared the Eparchaean Unconformity to be one of the 26 "Geological Monuments of India". Silathoranam , a natural arch and a distinctive geological wonder is located in Tirumala Hills at a distance of 1 km (0.62 mi) from Tirumala Venkateswara Temple . The arch measures 8 m (26 ft) in width and 3 m (9.8 ft) metres in height and

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3738-627: The Kingdom of Mysore and the Gadwal Samsthanam worshipped as pilgrims and donated ornaments and valuables to the temple. Maratha general Raghoji I Bhonsle set up a permanent administration for the conduct of worship in the temple. He donated valuable jewels to the Lord which are still preserved in a box named after him. Between 1320 CE and 1369 CE, idols of Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam were brought to this temple for safe keeping. In

3827-646: The Old Mysore region of India , published in Epigraphia Carnatica . The start date and time of Kali Yuga was at midnight (00:00) on 17/18 February 3102 BCE. Astronomer and mathematician Aryabhata , who was born in 476 CE, finished his book Aryabhatiya in 499 CE, in which he wrote "When the three yugas (satyug, tretayug and dwaparyug) have elapsed and 60 x 60 (3,600) years of kaliyug have already passed, I am now 23 years old." Based on this information, Kali Yuga began in 3102 BCE, which

3916-476: The Satya Yuga , the first stage of development, the bull has four legs, which is reduced by one in each age that follows. The four legs of Dharma are Tapas lit.   ' austerity ' , Śauca lit.   ' cleanliness ' , Dayā lit.   ' compassion ' and Satya lit.   ' truth ' . By the age of Kali, morality is reduced to only a quarter of that of

4005-480: The Seshachalam hills in Tirumala and started meditating. Lakshmi learned of the condition of Srinivasa and called Shiva and Brahma. Shiva and Brahma then converted themselves into Cow and Calf and Lakshmi had handed over the cow and calf to Chola king ruling over Tirumala Hills at that time. The Cow would provide milk to Srinivasa daily while it was taken for grazing. One day, a cowherd saw this and tried to beat

4094-596: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams manufactures and sells this product. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams established Sri Venkateswara Museum, one at Tirumala and the other at Tirupati. It has a wonderful collection of Tirupati temple architecture and historical artefacts, such as ancient weaponry, pooja items and idols. It has a comprehensive photo gallery that gives a unique insight into the Tirupati region's culture and traditions. It also boasts

4183-708: The Tirupati – Tirumala Ghat road , there is a major discontinuity of stratigraphic significance that represents a period of remarkable serenity in the geological history of the Earth . This is referred to as the Eparchaean Unconformity . This unconformity separates the Nagari Quartzite of the Proterozoic from the granite of the Archean , representing a time gap of 800 Mya . In 2001,

4272-583: The Vijayanagara Empire , present-day Karnataka state , with the donation of diamonds and gold. In the 16th century, Vijayanagara Emperor Krishnadevaraya was a frequent donor and visitor to the temple. His donations of gold and jewels enabled the Ananda Nilayam (inner shrine) roofing to be gilded. On 2 January 1517, Krishnadevaraya installed his own statue in the temple. After the decline of Vijayanagara Empire, rulers from states such as

4361-471: The 11th and 12th centuries, Ramanujacharya visited Tirupati thrice. On the first occasion, he spent a year with his uncle, Tirumalai Nambi, learning the esoteric meaning of Ramayana . His second visit was to settle a dispute that arose between the Saivites and Vaishnavites regarding the nature of the image set up in the Tirumala temple. During the last visit, which was at an advanced old age of 102 years,

4450-608: The Ananda Nilayam Vimana's second tier north west corner. The temple follows Vaikhanasa Agama ( vadakalai ) tradition of worship, which is believed to have been revealed by Sage Vikhanasa and propagated by his disciples Atri , Bhrigu , Marichi , Kasyapa . Vaikhanasa is one of the principal traditions of Hinduism and primarily worships Vishnu (and his associated Avatars) as the Supreme God. This ancient texts recommends puja (worship) for Vishnu six times

4539-643: The Cow with his staff but Srinivasa had borne the injury. Getting angered by this Srinivasa had cursed the Chola king to become a Demon as dharma says sins committed by servants ( shudras ) should be borne by Kings. The king prayed for mercy after which Srinivasa said to him, that the King should take next birth as Akasharaja and should perform marriage of his daughter Padmavati with Srinivasa. Srinivasa went to his foster-mother Vakula Devi on Tirumala hills and stayed there for

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4628-562: The Golden and the other Ages, as measured by the difference in the number of the feet of Virtue in each, is as follows : (17) The tenth part of an Age, multiplied successively by four, three, two, and one, gives the length of the Golden and the other Ages, in order : the sixth part of each belongs to its dawn and twilight. A dialogue between Krishna and Ganga found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana describes that for

4717-411: The acharya installed the image of Govindaraja and laid the foundations of the present town of Tirupati. Ramanuja streamlined the rituals at Tirumala temple according to Vaikanasa Agama tradition and introduced the recitation of Naalayira Divya Prabandham . He also set up Tirupati Jeeyar Mutt in 1119 AD in consultation with Tirumalai Ananthalwan to institutionalise service to the deity and supervise

4806-427: The allotted time slots issued in the token. There are two entry points for the foot-path pilgrims: Alipiri Mettu and Srivari Mettu. Alipiri Mettu is open round the clock, whereas Srivari Mettu is open from 06:00 to 18:00. To manage the large number of visitors, the temple administration has established various darshan types to ensure an orderly and efficient flow of pilgrims. Sarva Darshan (Free Darshan): Sarva Darshan

4895-472: The brief (description of) the duration of a night and a day of Brahman [(Brahma)] and of the several ages (of the world, yuga) according to their order. (69) They declare that the Krita age (consists of) four thousand years (of the gods); the twilight preceding it consists of as many hundreds, and the twilight following it of the same number. (70) In the other three ages with their twilights preceding and following,

4984-505: The day on which it is believed that Vaikuntha Dvarams will be opened, is celebrated in Tirumala. Rathasapthami is another festival, celebrated during February, when Venkateswara processional deity, ( Malayappa ) is taken in a procession around the temple on seven different vahanas from early morning to late night. Tirupati is known for the Tirupati laddu . It is the prasadam at the Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala . Only

5073-484: The devotees is accepted by Neela Devi. The hill, Neeladri, one of the seven hills, is named after her. Traditionally the barbers employed to do the tonsuring were male and from the Nayee caste and this caused some discrimination and failed to resolve the requests from women that they would like a female barber. A protest led by Kagganapalli Radha Devi overturned the objections and temple agreed to appoint women barbers. Devi

5162-539: The divine architect, create heavenly surroundings in the Seshadri hills. Together, Srinivasa and Padmavathi lived for all eternity while Goddess Lakshmi, understanding the commitments of Vishnu, chose to live in his heart forever. In remembrance of this, devotees go to Tirupati to donate money in Venkateswara's hundi (donation pot) so that he can pay it back to Kubera. The hundi collections go as high as ₹22.5 million

5251-421: The end of Dvapara Yuga and the start of Kali Yuga , which is dated to 17/18 February 3102  BCE . Lasting for 432,000 years (1,200 divine years), Kali Yuga began 5,125 years ago and has 426,875 years left as of 2024  CE . Kali Yuga will end in the year 428,899 CE. Near the end of Kali Yuga , when virtues are at their worst, a cataclysm and a re-establishment of dharma occur to usher in

5340-532: The first 10,000 years of Kali Yuga , the ill effects of Kali Yuga will be reduced due to the presence of bhakti yogis and the ability to nullify sinful reactions, after which Earth will be devoid of devout religious people and be shackled by Kali Yuga . Gaudiya Vaishnavism believes this sub-period started later in Kali Yuga with the birth of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486 CE). Hinduism often symbolically represents morality ( dharma ) as an Indian bull. In

5429-435: The garbha griha also hosts the panchaloha deities of Sita , Rama , Lakshmana , Rukmini , Krishna , Chakratalvar . The temple hosts the deities of Garuda (Vishnu's vehicle), Narasimha , Varadaraja, Kubera , Hanuman in their respective sub-shrines. The temple also host the deities of Shesha (Vishnu's serpent), Viswaksena , Sugriva , Ramanuja . Vimana Venkateswara is the exact replica icon of Venkateswara carved on

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5518-579: The golden age, so that the bull of Dharma has only one leg, the one representing Satya . The Kurukshetra War and the decimation of Kauravas thus happened at the Yuga-Sandhi , the point of transition from one yuga to another. A discourse by Markandeya in the Mahabharata identifies some of the attributes of people, animals, nature, and weather during the Kali Yuga. The Kali Yuga

5607-500: The left side while Padmavathi rests on His Chest's right side. The temple finds a mention in the Sangam epic Silappathikaram , Kovalan meeting a Brahmin asks him where he is from and why did he come here, and he Replied "I came to satisfy my heart's desire, to see with my own eyes the glory of Vishnu , whom many worship with prayer as He reposes with Lakshmi in His chest, on the couch of

5696-405: The milk white conch (to see Him) wearing a garland of tender flowers on His chest, and draped in golden flowers and dwelling on the topmost crest of the tall and lofty hill named Venkatam with innumerable waterfalls, standing like a cloud in its natural hue, adorned with a rainbow and attired with lightning, in the midst of a place both sides of which are illumined by the spreading rays of the sun and

5785-609: The moon. The first recorded endowment was made by Pallava queen Samavai in the year 966 CE. She donated many jewels and two parcels of land (one 10 acres and other 13 acres) and ordered use of the revenues generated from that land for the celebration of major festivals in the temple. The Pallava dynasty (9th century), the Chola dynasty (10th century), Reddi kingdom (12th and 13th centuries) and Vijayanagara pradhans (14th and 15th centuries) were committed devotees of Venkateswara. The temple gained most of its current wealth and size under

5874-445: The national average of 59.5 percent. The male literacy rate was 57.1 percent and the female rate was 42.9 percent. In Tirumala, 11 percent of the population was under six years of age. Telugu is the major language. Hinduism is the only religion in Tirumala. The town of Tirumala is strictly vegetarian . Consumption of non-vegetarian food, alcohol , and tobacco products is strictly prohibited in Tirumala, and smuggling any of these

5963-661: The next cycle's Krita (Satya) Yuga , prophesied to occur by Kalki . Yuga ( Sanskrit : युग ), in this context, means "an age of the world", where its archaic spelling is yug , with other forms of yugam , yugānāṃ , and yuge , derived from yuj ( Sanskrit : युज् , lit.   'to join or yoke'), believed derived from *yeug- ( Proto-Indo-European : lit. 'to join or unite'). Kali Yuga ( Sanskrit : कलियुग , romanized :  kaliyuga or kali-yuga ) means "the age of Kali ", "the age of darkness", "the age of vice and misery", or "the age of quarrel and hypocrisy". A complete description of Kali Yuga

6052-491: The northeast monsoon remains active over the region for 2 months. It causes flooding. The highest 24-hour rainfall on record was 459 mm (18.1 in) on 23 November 2005, followed by 307 mm (12.1 in) on 9 November 2015. In ancient literature, Tirupati is mentioned as Adi Varaha Kshetra. The Puranas associate the site with Varaha , one of the Dashavatara of Vishnu . In the Varaha Purana , Venkatadri

6141-601: The paths are completely roofed and passes through seven hills which are part of Seshachalam Hills . Tirumala can be accessed by road from Alipiri. The distance is 23 kilometres (14 mi). There are two roads from Alipiri to Tirumala, one each dedicated to up and down traffic. The state government -owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) operates frequent Saptagiri and Saptagiri Express buses from Tirupati and Alipiri and also from nearby places. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) runs free buses for transit within Tirumala. The nearest railway station

6230-630: The pilgrims. On Thursdays, the Tiruppavada seva is conducted, where huge quantity of pulihora is offered to Venkateswara by heaping up into a pyramidal shape in Tirummani mandapam (ghanta mandapam). To manage the large number of devotees visiting the temple, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam constructed two Vaikuntam Queue Complexes: one in the year 1983 and the other in the year 2000. Vaikuntam Queue complexes have rooms where devotees can sit and wait until their turn for darshan. According to tradition, it

6319-448: The place is also known by the name Kaliyuga Vaikuntha and the deity here is referred to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam . The temple is also known by other names like Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple. Venkateswara is also known by other names including Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The temple is run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is under control of Andhra Pradesh Government. The head of TTD

6408-580: The present age, has the following dates based on it starting in 3102   BCE: Mahabharata , Book 12 ( Shanti Parva ), Ch. 231: (17) A year (of men) is equal to a day and night of the gods   ... (19) I shall, in their order, tell you the number of years that are for different purposes calculated differently, in the Krita, the Treta, the Dwapara, and the Kali yugas. (20) Four thousand celestial years

6497-479: The quarrel between Lakshmi and Padmavati, turned into stone right when he was encountered by Lakshmi and Padmavathi. Brahma and Shiva appeared before the confused queens and explain the main purpose behind all this - The Lord's desire to be on the seven hills for the emancipation of mankind from the perpetual troubles of Kali Yuga . Goddesses Lakshmi and Padmavathi also turn into stone deities expressing their wish to be always there. Lakshmi stays with Him on His Chest on

6586-628: The temple by devotees. As of 30 September 2022, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the governing body of the temple, had fixed deposits with several PSU and private banks amounting to over Rs 15,938 crore. The gold deposits made by the Devasthanams in banks have also now increased rapidly from 7.3 tonnes in 2019 to 10.25 tonnes. The temple is one of the world's most visited religious sites, attracts around 24 million devotees annually. The average daily pilgrim footfall

6675-688: The temple rituals. The Jeeyars to this day ensure that the rituals ordained by Ramanuja are observed. After the end of Vijayanagara Empire , the temple went into the hands of Golconda in July 1656 and then it was under the French for a short period of time and under Nawab of Carnatic till 1801 CE. With the advent of British during the early 19th century, the management of the temple passed to hands of East India Company , who accorded special status to temple and avoided interference in temple activities. Madras government passed Regulation seven of 1817, which passed

6764-640: The temple to Board of Revenue through collector of North Arcot District. In 1821, Bruce, the then East India company commissioner for Chittoor district, had drawn rules for the management of Temple which is referred to as Bruce's Code . The 7th Nizam of Hyderabad , Mir Osman Ali Khan donated ₹ 8,000 to the temple. In 1843, the East India Company transferred the Administration of Temple along with other Temples in Tirupati to Mahants of Hathiramji Muth , who acted as Vicaranakartas. It

6853-501: The temple will witness lakhs of devotees particularly on Garuda vahanam. Vaikunta Ekadasi , the day on which it is believed that Vaikunta Dwarams will be opened and the most important Vasihnavite festival, is celebrated with grandeur in Tirumala. The Tirumala Venkateswara Temple will be flooded with devotees on a single day with numbers reaching up to 150,000, to have a darshan of Venkateswara through special entrance which encircles inner sanctum called "Vaikunta Dwaram". Rathasapthami

6942-425: The temple with a miniature model of the chandrayan-3 and sought the blessings of the lord.) Many devotees have their head tonsured as "Mokku", an offering to God. The daily amount of hair collected is over a ton. The hair is collected and is sold internationally creating a substantial profit for the temple. As per legend, when Venkateswara was hit on his head by a cowherd, a small portion of his scalp became bald. This

7031-460: The thousand hooded Serpent, in the temple in island jutting out on the widening waves of the Kaveri, even as the blue clouds repose supine on the slopes of the lofty golden mountain (Meru)." This line mentions Srirangam and next he mentions Tirumala as follows, "I also came to see the beauty of the red-eyed Lord, holding in His beautiful lotus-hands the discus which is death to His enemies, and also

7120-479: The thousands and hundreds are diminished by one (in each). Surya Siddhanta , Ch. 1: (13) ... twelve months make a year. This is called a day of the gods. (14) ... Six times sixty [360] of them are a year of the gods   ... (15) Twelve thousand of these divine years are denominated a Quadruple Age (caturyuga); of ten thousand times four hundred and thirty-two [4,320,000] solar years (16) Is composed that Quadruple Age, with its dawn and twilight. The difference of

7209-399: The waiting time for devotees. By purchasing a ticket, devotees can have a quicker darshan experience compared to the free darshan queue. The cost and availability of the tickets may vary, and they can be booked online or at designated TTD counters. (The Chandrayan-3 that was successfully launched on 14 July also had the blessings of Venkateshwara at this temple. The ISRO scientists had visited

7298-534: The welfare of the temple, runs various charitable trusts, whose funds are derived from the budget and donations from the devotees. There are three dvarams (entrances) which lead to the garbhagriha from outside. Mahadvaram, also known as padikavali , is the first entrance which is provided through Mahaprakaram (outer compound wall). A 50 feet, five storied Gopuram (Temple tower) is constructed over this Mahadvaram with seven kalasams at its apex. Vendivakili (Silver Entrance), also known as Nadimipadikavali ,

7387-599: The worlds! Abode of Sri Lakshmi! The matchless ocean of compassion! One having a charming form on account of the chest which is the abode of Sri Lakshmi! Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee. ॥ 13 ॥ Tallapaka Annamacharya (Annamayya), the poet saint of the 14th century, one of the greatest Telugu poets and a great devotee of Venkateswara, had sung 32,000 songs in praise of Venkateswara. All his songs which are in Telugu and Sanskrit, are referred to as Sankirtanas and are classified as Sringara Sankirtanalu and Adhyatma Sankirtanalu. Tirumala Tirumala

7476-574: Was built by Thondaman king and reformed periodically by Cholas, Pandyas and Vijayanagar. The temple is constructed in South Indian architecture and is believed to be constructed over a period of time starting from 300 CE. The Garbhagruha (Sanctum Sanctorum) is called Ananda Nilayam. The presiding deity, Venkateswara, is in standing posture and faces east in Garbha Gruha. The temple follows Vaikhanasa Agama tradition of worship. The temple

7565-547: Was considered to reside here with his full power, as in Vaikuntha, and thus the place was also called 'Bhuloka Vaikuntha'. The word Tirumala is of Dravidian origin, specifically from the Tamil language . The term “Tiru” means sacred or holy, and “Mala” means mountain or hill. The prefix "Tiru" (or "Thiru") is a widely recognized Tamil word meaning "sacred" or "holy," and is used in many South Indian place names. Tirumala

7654-417: Was noticed by Neela Devi, a Gandharva princess. Immediately, she cut a portion of her hair and, with her magic, implanted it on his scalp. Venkateswara noticed her sacrifice. As hair is a beautiful asset of the female form, he promised her that all his devotees who come to his abode would offer their hair to him, and she would be the recipient of all the hair received. Hence, it is believed that hair offered by

7743-556: Was recognised by Andhra Pradesh in 2017 and with an award of the Nari Shakti Puraskar by the President of India in 2019. As per legend, it is believed that Srinivasa had to make arrangements for his wedding. Kubera credited money to Venkateswara (a form of the god Vishnu) for his marriage with Padmavathi. Srinivasa sought a loan of one crore and 1.14 crore (1,14,00,000) coins of gold from Kubera and had Vishvakarma ,

7832-429: Was rolled back with new Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams act, where temple administration was vested to a committee consisting of Executive officer, Chairman and two other members nominated by Government of Andhra Pradesh . The temple is run by body Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) which is under control of Andhra Pradesh Government. The head of TTD is appointed by Andhra Pradesh Government. The revenue from this shrine

7921-507: Was under the rule of Mahants for six generations until 1933 when Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams was formed as a result of the TTD Act in 1933. The Act of 1933 was superseded by Madras Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act of 1951. Again in 1966, the temple was placed under direct control of Andhra pradesh State Endowments Department, with Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments act. In 1979, act of 1966

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