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.
