Balaji Darshan (About tirupathi)

[Guest guest]

About Sri Venkateswara Temple

 

The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the

seventh peak, Venkatachala (Venkata Hill) of

the Tirupati Hill, and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini.

It is by the Lord’s presidency over Venkatachala, that He has received the

appellation, Venkateswara (Lord of the Venkata Hill). He is also called the Lord

of the Seven Hills.

The temple of Sri Venkateswara has acquired unique sanctity in Indian

religious lore. The Sastras, Puranas, Sthala Mahatyams and Alwar hymns

unequivocally declare that, in the Kali Yuga, one can attain mukti, only by

worshipping Venkata Nayaka or Sri Venkateswara.

The benefits acquired by a piligrimage to Venkatachala are mentioned in the

Rig Veda and Asthadasa Puranas. In these epics, Sri Venkateswara is described as

the great bestower of boons. There are several legends associated with the

manifestation of the Lord at Tirumala.

The temple has its origins in Vaishnavism, an ancient sect which advocates the

principles of equality and love, and prohibits animal sacrifice.

The sanctum sanctorum which houses the awe-inspiring idol of the Lord of the

Seven Hills is situated in the main temple complex of Tirumala.

 

Temple History

 

There is ample literary and epigraphic testimony to the antiquity of the

temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara.

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 Vijayanagar (14th - 15th century AD)

were devotees of the Lord and they competed with one another in endowing the

temple with rich offerings and contributions.

It was during the rule of the Vijayanagar dynasty that the contributions to

the temple increased. Sri 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.

After the decline of the Vijayanagar dynasty, nobles and chieftains from all

parts of the country continued to pay their homage and offer gifts to the

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 which 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.

After the fall of the Hindu kingdoms, the Muslim rulers of Karnataka and then

the Britishers took over, and many of the temples came under their supervisory

and protective control.

In 1843 AD, the East India Company divested itself of the direct management of

non-Christian places of worship and native religious institutions. The

administration of the shrine of Sri Venkateswara and a number of estates were

then entrusted to Sri Seva Dossji of the Hatiramji Mutt at Tirumala, and the

temple remained under the administration of the Mahants for nearly a century,

till 1933 AD.

In 1933, the Madras Legislature passed a special act, which empowered the

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams(TTD) Committee to control and administer a fixed

group of temples in the Tirumala-Tirupati area, through a Commissioner appointed

by the Government of Madras.

In 1951, the Act of 1933 was replaced by an enactment whereby the

administration of TTD was entrusted to a Board of Trustees, and an Executive

Officer was appointed by the Government .

The provisions of the Act of 1951 were retained by Charitable and Religious

Endowments Act, 1966.

 

Temple Legends

Sri Venkatachala Mahatmya is referred to in several Puranas, of which the most

important are the Varaha Purana and the Bhavishyottara Purana.

The printed work contains extracts from the Varaha Purana, Padma Purana,

Garuda Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Markandeya Purana, Harivamsa, Vamana Purana,

Brahma Purana, Brahmottara Purana, Aditya Purana, Skanda Purana and

Bhavishyottara Purana. Most of these extracts describe the sanctity and

antiquity of the hills around Tirumala and the numerous teerthams situated on

them.

The legends taken from the Venkatachala Mahatmya and the Varaha Purana,

pertaining to the manifestation of the Lord at Tirumala, are of particular

interest.

 

According to the Varaha Purana, Adi Varaha manifested Himself on the western

bank of the Swami Pushkarini, while Vishnu in the form of Venkateswara came to

reside on the southern bank of the Swami Pushkarini.

One day, Rangadasa, a staunch devotee of Vishnu, in the course of his

pilgrimage, joined Vaikhanasa Gopinatha, who was going up the Tirumala Hill for

the daily worship of Lord Venkateswara. After bathing in the Swami Pushkarini,

he beheld the lotus-eyed and blue-bodied Vishnu beneath a tamarind tree. Vishnu

was exposed to the sun, wind and rain and was only protected by the extended

wings of Garuda.

 

Rangadasa was astounded by the wonderful sight. He raised a rough wall of stones

around the deity, and started supplying flowers faithfully to Gopinatha everyday

for Vishnu's worship.

One day, Rangadasa was distracted by a Gandharva king and his ladies.

Consequently, he forgot to supply flowers to Gopinatha for Vishnu's worship. The

Lord then revealed Himself and told Rangadasa that He had been testing the

latter's continence, but Rangadasa had not been steadfast and had succumbed to

temptation.

However, the Lord accepted and appreciated Rangadasa's devoted service to Him

till then, and blessed Rangadasa that he would be reborn as an affluent ruler of

a province and would enjoy the earthly pleasures. He would continue to serve the

Lord, construct a beautiful temple with a vimana and high surrounding walls, and

thereby earn eternal glory.

Rangadasa was reborn as Tondaman, the son of the royal couple, Suvira and

Nandini. Tondaman enjoyed a pleasurable life as a young man. One day, he set out

on a hunting expedition on the Tirumala Hill, and with the help of a forester,

saw Vishnu under the tamarind tree. Tondaman returned home, deeply affected by

the vision of Vishnu.

Tondaman later inherited his father's kingdom, Tondamandalam. In accordance

with the directions given by Adi Varaha to a forester, Tondaman constructed a

prakaram and dvara gopura, and arranged for regular worship of the Lord

(according to Vaikhanasa Agama).

In the Kali Yuga, Akasaraja came to rule over Tondamandalam. His daughter

Padmavathi was married to Venkateswara. The marriage, officiated by Brahma, was

celebrated with great pomp and splendour.

 

 

 

 

 

Images by Graphics Factory.com

 

 

 

India Answers: Share what you know. Learn something new Click here

Send free SMS to your Friends on Mobile from your Messenger Download now