Location
: 67-km from Chittoor in Chittoor
district
Famous For :
Architecture and
Festivals
Ideal Time To Visit :
October To
March
¤ A Sacred Monument
Considered as the most sacred and the
richest temple in the world, Tirupati
temple is situated in the town of
Tirupati. It is located 67-km away from
Chittoor in Chittoor district of
southern Andhra Pradesh. Also known as
Tirupati Balaji Temple, it is a major
pilgrimage center of south India.
Besides, Tirupati also focous on other
attraction of this place, the ancient
and famous shrine of Sri Venkateswara,
the Lord of Seven Hills are worth a
viist.
The temple is located on a hill at
Tirumala. It is a conglomeration of
seven hills known as Seshachalam or
Venkatachalam having an height of 853m
(2,800ft.) above the sea level. The
temple boasts of a vibrant and colorful
culture also speaking volumes about its
grand past. It is an important
pilgrimage center, where devotees stand
for long hours waiting to get a glance
of the presiding deity.
¤ Highlight of The Temple
The temple is the most popular and most
visited temples in India. Being situated
on a hill of Tirumala, it is climbed up
by pilgrims, which is not an easy task.
Sri Venkataswara temple or the Tirupati
temple is the richest temple in India.
It is said that people drop bags of
diamonds at the feet of Sri Venkataswara.
Devotees flock this temple in huge
numbers. In fact there are two lines to
enter the temple, one is a free line,
where you don' t pay anything to get a
view of the deity. But, for the second
line, which takes less time to get a
glance of the deity, you have to pay a
minimum amount of Rs. 50.
¤ Temple Architecture
The ancient Tirupati temple follows the
Dravidian style of architecture. The
gopuram of this temple is its highlight.
The 'Vimana' or Cupola, named the "the
Ananda Nilayam" is placed over the
sanctum sanctorum. It completely veiled
with gold plate.
There are three 'Prakarams' or
enclosures in the temple, among them the
outermost enclosure boasts of the 'Dhvajastambha'
or the banner post. Apart form these,
other highlights of the temple are the
statues of Vijayanagara king,
Krishnadevaraya and his spouse. There is
also an idol of Todarmal, the minister
of Akbar.
The
image of the temple deity represents
both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Lord
Vishnu is considered as the preserver
whereas the Lord Shiva is considered as
the destroyer in Hindu religion.
¤ A Day At Tirupati Tirumala
A day at Tirupati Tirumala temple begins
with 'Suprabhatam' (awakening the Lord)
as early as three in the morning. The
day ends with the 'Ekanta Seva' (
putting the Lord to sleep) at around 1
O'clock in the night.
Prayers are offered daily, weekly and
periodically in the form of 'Sevas' and
'Utsavams' to the Lord. Devotees who
want to pay homage to the Lord can do it
by giving a small amount in return of
the Sevas or Utsavams done on their
name. The gifts and donations offered to
the deity, is known as the 'Hundi'. It
is the main source of income of the
Temple.
¤ Festivals
Tirupati Tirumala Balaji Temple
celebrates many festivals but the annual
festival of 'Brahmotsavam' is
particularly important. This festival is
celebrated extravagantly for nine days
in the month of September every year.
The Garudostavam and Rathotavam rituals
take place on the fifth and sixth day of
the festival. Thus, attracting flocks of
tourists and devotees to the temple.
¤ Reach Tirupati Temple
By Air : The
nearest airport is at Renigunta(15 kms).
Tirupati is connected by air with
Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. From
the airport you can hire a taxi or an
auto rickshaw or you can take a bus to
reach the temple.
By Rail :
Tirupati temple is well
connected by roads and proper transport
services to the nearest railway station
situated at Tirupati. This place is
connected by rail with Hubbi, Hyderabad,
Chennai, Kolhapur , Mumbai, Puri,
Tiruchirapalli, Varanasi and Vijayawada.
By Road : To reach Tirupati
temple, one should first reach Tirupati.
It is linked with important cities like
Hyderabad (617), Banglore(248),
Chennai(151 km), Vijayawada(380 km) and
Lepakshi (379 km) through good roadways.
