Archive for the ‘Tirupati’ Category
May 18th, 2013 | 
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Lord Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati is an important pilgrim centre for the Hindus. Generally, weekdays are less Crowded.The most popular destination for Hindu pilgrims in India, Tirupati is the site of the Shri Venkateshvara Temple, situated in the Tirumala Hills, 700 m (2.297 ft) above the town. The seven “sacred hills” of Tirumala are believed to symbolize the seven – headed serpent god Adisesha, on whose coils Vishnu sleeps. The temple dates to the 9th century, although it has often been expanded and renovated from the 15th century onwards.
The aura that surrounds Lord Venkateshvara (a form of Lord Vishnu, who is also known as Balaji) as the “Bestower of Boons” has made his temple the most visited and the richest in India. It eclipses Jerusalem and Rome in the number of pilgrims it attracts – around 25,000 a day, and up to 100,000 on festival days. The gold vimana and flagpole, and the gold – plated doorway into the inner sanctum, proclaim the temple’s wealth. The jet – black stone image, 2 – m (7-ft) high, stands on a lotus and is adorned with rubies, diamonds and gold. The deity also wears a diamond crown, believed to be the singlemost precious ornament in the world. He is flanked by his consorts, Sridevi and Bhudevi. The entrance portico has superb life – size images of the Vijayanagara king and queens, who worshipped Venkateshvara as their protective deity.The entire complex is built to accommodate the huge influx of pilgrims,, who come to seek favours from Lord Venkateshvara. This is one of the few temples in South India where non – Hindus are allowed into the inner sanctum. Devotees wait patiently in long queues for a special darshan, and make offerings of money, gold and jewellery that net the temple an annual income of nearly 1.5 billion rupees. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which runs the temple, employs a staff of 6,000 to see to the pilgrims’ needs and maintain the temple premises.
The temple complex includes a ritual bathing tank, and a small Art Museum with images of deities, musical instruments and Votive objects. Surrounding it are green valleys and the Akash Ganga waterfall, which is the source of the holy water used for bathing the deity.
A unique feature at Tirupati is that many devotees offer their hair to the deity, and there are separate enclosures for this purpose. It is believed that since hair enchances a person’s appearance, shaving it off shed vanity as well. This offering is usually made after the fulfilment of a wish. The hair – offerings are later exported to the United States and Japan where they are made into wigs.
Most pilgrims stop at the small Ganesha shrine in the foothills, and at the Govindarajaswamy Temple in Tirupati town, before driving up the hill to the Tirumala shrine. This temple, which dates to the 16th – 17th century, is dedicated to both Krishna and Vishnu. Built by the Nayakas, the successors to the Vijayanagar rulers, it is approached through a massive, grey outer gopura that dominates Tirupati’s skyline, and is carved with scences from the Ramayana. An exquisite pavilion in the inner courtyard has carved granite pillars, an ornate wooden roof, and impressive sculptures of crouching lions. The temple has a magnificent image of the reclining Vishnu, called Ranganatha, coated with bronze armour. A short distance north of the temple is the Venkateshvara Museum of Temple Arts, with temple models, photographs and ritual objects.Daily Darshan: 6 – 11am. Extra charges to join the shorter queue for special darshan of the deity.
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Tirupati is 67-km away from Chittoor in Chittoor district, the southern portion of Andhra Pradesh. Tirupati is one of the most visited pilgrimage in India. Sri Venkateshwara temple is one of the most important place of interest here. Sri Venkateshwara is also known as the Lord of Seven Hills, who is famous all over the country.
The shrine is situated on a hill at Tirumala, a cluster of seven hills known as Seshachalam or Venkatachalam with a height of 853m (2,800ft.) above the sea level. This temple is considered as the richest temple in the world, with a vibrant cultural and philanthropic institution and a grand history spanning several centuries. It attracts pilgrims from all over the country who wait for hours together to get a glimpse of the presiding deity.
The Lord of Tirumala is considered as the all-pervading Lord of the Universe. Almost daily 30,000 devotees on an average, visit the sacred shrine of Lord Venkateswara to pay their homage to him.
About The Place
The ancient Tirupathi Balaji is a fine example of Dravidian temple architecture. The dynasties like the Pallavas of Kanchipuram, the Cholas of Tanjore, the Pandyas of Madurai and the Kings and chiefs of Vijayanagara have contributed a lot to the development of this temple. They endowed the shrine, offering worship to the presiding deity. The Tirupati temple also has beautiful ‘gopuram’ or tower. The ‘Vimana’ or Cupola over the sanctum sanctorum is covered entirely with gold plate and is known as “the Ananda Nilayam”.
The Shrine consists of three ‘Prakarams’ or enclosures. The outermost enclosure contains the ‘Dhvajastambha’ or the banner post and, among others, the statues of Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya and his consorts, and of Todarmal, the minister of Akbar. The idol of the deity, the full figure of Lord Venkateswara or ‘Venkataramana’ or ‘Srinivasa’ or ‘Balaji’ (as is called in various parts of the country) has the attributes of both Vishnu and Shiva, preserving and destroying aspects of the Hindu trinity.
Area 10.33 sq. miles
Language Telegu and English
Best time to visit September to February
STD Code Code08574
About The Place
The town of Tirupati is one of the most ancient and sacred pilgrimage spots in India. The name ‘Tirupati’ means the “Lord of Lakshmi,” and should have been applied to the village on the Venkat hill, the dwelling of Lord Venkateswara. However, Tirupati is the town and transport hub at the bottom of the hill. The hill near the temple is called ‘Tirumala’ or the “sacred hill.” The temple here is said to be the busiest in the world, eclipsing even Rome, Jerusalem and Mecca in the number of pilgrims visiting it.
History
All the great dynasties of rulers of the southern peninsula have paid homage to Lord Sri Venkateswara in this ancient shrine. The Pallavas of Kancheepuram (9th century AD), the Cholas of Thanjavur (a century later), the Pandyas of Madurai, and the kings and chieftains of Vijaynagar (14th-15th century AD) were devotees of this shrine.
It was during the rule of the Vijaynagar dynasty that the contributions to the temple increased. Krishnadevaraya had statues of himself and his consorts installed at the portals of the temple, and these statues can be seen to this day. There is also a statue of Venkatapati Raya in the main temple. The Maratha general, Raghoji Bhonsle visited the temple and set up a permanent endowment for the conduct of worship in the temple. He also presented valuable jewels to the Lord, including a large emerald that is still preserved in a box named after the general. Among the later rulers who have endowed large amounts are the rulers of Mysore and Gadwal.
Places To Visit
1. Vaikuntha Tirtham Tourist Place
2. Swami Pushkarani Tourist Place
3. Travel to Temple Architecture
HOW TO REACH
BY AIR – It is possible to visit Tirupati for a daylong trip from Chennai. There are direct flights from Hyderabad and Chennai.
BY RAIL – Direct railway services are available from Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore.
BY ROAD – We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.
Location: 67-km From Chittoor, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh
Famous For Having: World’s Richest Temple
Famous As: A Pilgrimage Centre
Tirupati Balaji is a sacred town and is famous for the shrine of Lord Venkateshwara, which is visited by a large number of pilgrimages from far corners of India. The breathtakingly beautiful setting of this holy town makes it another lure for the tourists who want to experience a spiritual tinge on their tour of Tirupati-Balaji. There are many tourist attractions in Tirupati-Balaji among which the notable ones are:
Konai Waterfalls:
On Chennai-Uthukottai- Tirupati Rd, if one goes 90 km to the S-West of Chennai, immediately after Nagalpuram one reaches Narayanawanam. Getting down then moving about 2 ken, he will find this waterfall at a deserted place. It can be seen while on the move. Between October to February flow increases in view of rain, whereas during winter visitor increases. According to local legend, Lord Venkateswar a married Padmavati here only. A temple was built to commemorate the event.
Pushpagiri :
Pushpagiri, i.e, mountain offlowers. There are 8 well decorated temples on the hill and about a dozen down the hill. Episodes of Gita, Ramayana & Mahabharata are depicted in these temples. Carving is unique. II km to the south of Tirupati is Renigunta & 131 km to the east of Renigunta is Kudappa, 16 km to N-East of Kudappa is Pushpagiri.
Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple:
It is located three kms to the north, at the foot of the Tirumala Hill and is devoted to Lord Shiva. This is one of the most remarkable among the tourist attractions in Tirupati-Balaji and has a gorgeous setting. There is also a sacred waterfall called Kapila Teertham located beside the temple that adds to its beauty quotient.
Sri Govindrajaswamy Temple:
This temple dedicated to Sri Venkateshwara remains the most visited one and is characterized by its imposing spire that captures the interest of everyone with its massive size. You should not miss out this captivating temple whose presiding deities are Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu).
TRANSPORT FACILITIES :
Air:
Indian Airlines IC aircraft on 46day leaves Tirupati at 9-20 and arrives Hyderabad at 10-15. It arrives Tirupati at 17-45 from Hyderabad. Jet Aitways 9W aircraft leaves Tirupati at 14-Flemingo dance at Plllikllt Lake a Ph-Tourism Dept. 45 and arrives Hyderabad at 16-05. It arrives at Tirupati from Hyderabad at 12-55.
Train:
Tirupati is directly connected by bus and train from hyderabad and Secundarabad. Tirupati is connected by railway with rest of lndia via Renigunta on Bangalore-Chennai railway line. 7406 Krishna Exp leaves Hyderabad at5- 30 and arrives Tirupati (532 km) at 21-30 via Secundrabad (6-05), Vijayawada (13-15), Gudur(19-10); 7429 Royla seema Exp leaves Hyderabad at 17-25 and reaches Tirupati at 9-00 Next day via Raichur(23-17), Guntakol (2-25 nextday), Raniglinta (8-37). 7424 Narayanadri Exp leaves Secundrabad at 18-00 & arrives at Tirupati at 7-30 (next day) via Guntur (23-25), Gudur (5-00, next day), Renigunta (7-05); 7497 Vennkatadri Exp leaves Kacheguda at 20-00 and reaches Tirupati at 8-30 (next day) via Kurnool-Guntakol. 2764 Padmavati Exp leaves Secunderabad (2 4 5 6 7 day) at 19-00 and reaches Tirupati at7-40 (next day). Krishna at 5-30, Padmavati Exp. (13 5 67) at 17-05; Venkatadri at 17-40; Narayanadri Exp at 19-15. Royalseema Exp (18-50) return from. In 6351 Nagerkoel Exp leaves Tirupati at 13-00 (37 days) and reaches Nagerkoel at 6-00 (next day) via Trichi, Madurai- Tirunelveli on 47 day; it returns to Tirupati from Nagerkoel at 4-50. 1081 Mumbai-Kannyakumari Exp leaves Tirupati 16-30 and reches at 12-40. 6354 Mumbai Exp leaves Tirupati at 21-40 (15 day). From Mumbai Tirupati Exp returns to Tirupati at 12-1O (26day).
Buses:
From Gowliguda bus terminus Hyderabad Govt. buses and from railway station private buses travel to Tirupati in 9 hr’s. However it is convenient to board the APSRTC buses from TIC bus stand in Chennai for Tirupati. First starts at 4-30 and last service at 20-00. Bus leaves at an interval of 1 hr. The distance by road from Chennai to Tirupati is 170 km via Renigunta. Fare Rs 70 to 175 depending on the quality of service. From Chennai, one can return on the sameday after visiting Tirupati. The distance by road from Tirupati. Gudur (94 km), Bangalore (260), Hyderabad (617), Vijayawada (385 km).
Introduction
Tirupati is located amidst the lush green Eastern Ghats in Chittoor district in the southeastern part of Andhra Pradesh . It is at a distance of 700 kms from Hyderabad. One of the most important pilgrimage centers in India. The place is renowed for the Venkateswara temple which is abode of Lord Balaji. Tirupati encompasses several temples and is famous for its red wooden toys, copper and brass idols.
Best Time To Visit
The place can be visited at any time of the year. It experiences moderate climate. In summers the maximum temperature is 22.30 C and in winter the temperature falls to 13 C.
Here are few interesting places in Tirupati which is must see for all.
Lord Venkateswara Temple
The deity Lord Venkateswara is sometimes referred to as Lord of the Seven Hills.The temple is located on Tirumala Hills in the Eastern Ghats. The temple finds a mention in Shastras and Puranas as it was patronized by kings of Southern India. The main temple has been carved out of fine indian architecture.The Vimana and the Dhwajasthambam are made out of gold.
Sila Thoranam
Sila Thoranam is a rare geographical arch and the only one of its kind in the whole of Asia. The length of this arch is 25 feet and the height 10 feet.The arch is located on Tirumala Hills. The arch can be dated back to1500 million years. This is also a rare geological feature called ‘eparchean unconformity’. This natural arch is believed to have formed due to intensified weathering and erosion of stream action and has withstood the torque of nature.
Lepakshi
Lepakshi is located 16 Kms away from the Hindupur railway station at Anantapur district. The village exhibits wide number o magnificient temples. The monolithic bull mount of Shiva (Nandhi) is the largest sculpture of its kind. The Vijayanagar styled temples have number of paintings on its wall and ceiling. The main attraction of the village is the hanging tower supported from top.
Akasa Ganga
The river is located 3 kms north of the main temple.It is a perennial stream.According to legend.the river is said to flow from the feet of the Lord Vishnu. The Akasa Ganga as the name implies is the sacred river and many tourist take the sactred bath in this river to wash away their sins. The water from here is used for the daily rituals in the temple.
Govindaraja Swami Temple
The temple is located in the heart of Tirupati is Sri Govindaraja Swami Temple.The foundation of this temple was laid down by the Nayakas, the successors to the Vijayanagar empire. The temple has an impressive outer gopuram. The inner most gopuram is the earliest dating from the 14th-15th centuries. The main shrines are dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna.