Tirupati
Tirupati is a temple town in Chittoor District in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located at the foot hills of Tirumala.
The town owes its existence to the sacred temple situated on the Tirumala Hills. Tirumala is the abode of Lord Venkateshwara, one of the Avatars of Lord Vishnu, located atop Seshachala hills often called as "Yaedu Kondalu" (seven hills).The temple of Lord Venkateshwara was built by Telugu Kings representing the rich Telugu culture and it is the richest Hindu temple and the most visited religious center in the world followed by the Vatican[1]. The town is also home to Sri Venkateswara University, one of the three major universities in Andhra Pradesh. Although, Tirupati has been a city for many years, the Andhra Pradesh state government had not recognized it officially until recently. Effective from March 2, 2007, the city is a municipal corporation not a municipality.
The town owes its existence to the sacred temple situated on the Tirumala Hills. Tirumala is the abode of Lord Venkateshwara, one of the Avatars of Lord Vishnu, located atop Seshachala hills often called as "Yaedu Kondalu" (seven hills).The temple of Lord Venkateshwara was built by Telugu Kings representing the rich Telugu culture and it is the richest Hindu temple and the most visited religious center in the world followed by the Vatican[1]. The town is also home to Sri Venkateswara University, one of the three major universities in Andhra Pradesh. Although, Tirupati has been a city for many years, the Andhra Pradesh state government had not recognized it officially until recently. Effective from March 2, 2007, the city is a municipal corporation not a municipality.
Etymology:
Garuda Statue on the way to TirumalaThe word Thirupati means the Lord of Lakshmi and the word Tirumalai means Mountain of highness in Tamil.Tirumalai is called as Tirumala in Telugu. Tirumagal means Lakshmi, Pathi means husband or king, and Malai means hill. Another version of etymology goes like this. The word Thiru Venkatachalapathy is formed of few sub-words Thiru Vel irrukkum eedum or Thiruvenkadam and thalapathy. In other words, the place of the lord holding the sacred vel.Within Vaishnava tradition the temple is considered as one of the 108 most sacred temples throughout India, collectively known as 'Tirupathis'. Since Tirumalai and Tirupathi have been passed from the Tamil-majority Madras State to the majority-Telugu Andhra State,Tirumalai is now officially known as Tirumala
History :
The Sangam literature of Tamil such as Silapadikaram and Satanar's Manimekalai, dated between 500 B.C to 300 A.D, mentions Tiruvengadam (now named Tirupati) as the northernmost frontier of the Tamil Kingdoms.
The equivalent word for SRI in Telugu and Sanskrit is TIRU in Tamil. In Telugu SRI means Lakshmi. In Telugu PATHI means husband. Lord Venkateswara is husband of Laksmi and therefore the word SRIPATHI has become TIRUPATHI. About 50 years back even Tamilians used to call as SRIPATHI or THIRUPATHI.
It is believed that it was "Aadi Varaha Kshetra" (the ancient site of Varaha) mentioned in Indian literature dating during the Mauryan and Gupta regimes. The identity of the deity is still disputed . Though many believe it is Vishnu but several facts point out the possibility of Murugan being the deity. This is felt because of few reasons. Firstly, the temple is on a hill adjoining Tamil Nadu and belongs to the early AD period. Most hill temples of India in that period belonged to Lord Murugan. The word ThiruVenkatachalpathy is formed of few sub-words Thiru Vel irrukkum eedum or Thiruvenkadam and thalapthy. In other words, the place of the lord holding the sacred vel. The left hand of the deity is in a position as if holding something which Murugan has. The deity marries two wives in the daily rituals which Murugan has and not Vishnu. The deity has a chubby face something only Murugan in his child avatar has. K. Jamandas argues that the site was originally a Buddhist shrine, though this remains a minority view.
Lord Venkateswara is referred in Vedas, ancient Telugu Literature although the place happend to be in the border of present Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Many of the 100 million Telugu people normally, have their names Venkateswara and Venkateswara Rao. This proves that the Lord is known to Telugu people from Mahabharatha times and Tirupathi is considered as Kaliyuga Vaikuntha.
The equivalent word for SRI in Telugu and Sanskrit is TIRU in Tamil. In Telugu SRI means Lakshmi. In Telugu PATHI means husband. Lord Venkateswara is husband of Laksmi and therefore the word SRIPATHI has become TIRUPATHI. About 50 years back even Tamilians used to call as SRIPATHI or THIRUPATHI.
It is believed that it was "Aadi Varaha Kshetra" (the ancient site of Varaha) mentioned in Indian literature dating during the Mauryan and Gupta regimes. The identity of the deity is still disputed . Though many believe it is Vishnu but several facts point out the possibility of Murugan being the deity. This is felt because of few reasons. Firstly, the temple is on a hill adjoining Tamil Nadu and belongs to the early AD period. Most hill temples of India in that period belonged to Lord Murugan. The word ThiruVenkatachalpathy is formed of few sub-words Thiru Vel irrukkum eedum or Thiruvenkadam and thalapthy. In other words, the place of the lord holding the sacred vel. The left hand of the deity is in a position as if holding something which Murugan has. The deity marries two wives in the daily rituals which Murugan has and not Vishnu. The deity has a chubby face something only Murugan in his child avatar has. K. Jamandas argues that the site was originally a Buddhist shrine, though this remains a minority view.
Lord Venkateswara is referred in Vedas, ancient Telugu Literature although the place happend to be in the border of present Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Many of the 100 million Telugu people normally, have their names Venkateswara and Venkateswara Rao. This proves that the Lord is known to Telugu people from Mahabharatha times and Tirupathi is considered as Kaliyuga Vaikuntha.
The site was an established center by the 5th century A.D, and the Alvars (Vaishnava saints) belonging to the Bhakti movement in Dravidian land sung in praise of Venketeswara. Its significance in Southern Vaishnava tradition was at the time next only to Srirangam. The temple was richly endowed by the kings of various dynasties thus adding to its current reputation as the richest and most opulent temple in the world. It was supported by Cholas, later by Hoysalas, the Vijayanagaras. Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagara led the temple to great popularity by donating gold and other ornaments for the temple and constructing extended shrines. The place of Chandragiri, presently a village near Tirupati, was used as the secondary capital of Vijayanagara kings.
Tirupati survived the Muslim invasions of South India, unlike other temples such as the Meenakshi temple in Madurai and Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. It is believed that during the invasions the deity of Sriranganatha from Srirangam was brought to Tirupati for safekeeping. To commemorate this event, a hall in Tirupati is still known as the Ranganatha mandapa.
In 1843, with the coming of the East India Company, the administration of the Shri Venkateshwara temple and a number of shrines was entrusted to Seva Dossji of the Hathiramji Mutt at Tirumala as Vicaranakarta for nearly a century until 1933, when the temple was under the administrative charge of the mahants. The Madras legislature passed a special act in 1933 whereby the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) committee was invested with powers of administration and control through a commissioner appointed by the Government of Madras. A Ryot Advisory Council was formed for the management of the estates of the TTD, and was assisted by a Religious Advisory Council with regard to religious matters.
Tirupati survived the Muslim invasions of South India, unlike other temples such as the Meenakshi temple in Madurai and Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam. It is believed that during the invasions the deity of Sriranganatha from Srirangam was brought to Tirupati for safekeeping. To commemorate this event, a hall in Tirupati is still known as the Ranganatha mandapa.
In 1843, with the coming of the East India Company, the administration of the Shri Venkateshwara temple and a number of shrines was entrusted to Seva Dossji of the Hathiramji Mutt at Tirumala as Vicaranakarta for nearly a century until 1933, when the temple was under the administrative charge of the mahants. The Madras legislature passed a special act in 1933 whereby the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) committee was invested with powers of administration and control through a commissioner appointed by the Government of Madras. A Ryot Advisory Council was formed for the management of the estates of the TTD, and was assisted by a Religious Advisory Council with regard to religious matters.
Geography :
Tirupati is located in southern part of Andhra Pradesh.[2] It has an average elevation of 162 metres (531 feet).
The Tirumala Hill is 3200 ft above sea level, and is about 10.33 sq miles in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven hoods of Adisesha, thus earning the name, Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrishabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri.
Climate :
In summer temperatures may go up to 42 to 45 degrees Celsius (107.6 F to 113 F),and in winter the minimum temperatures will be between 10 and 18 degrees Celsius ( 50 F to 64.4 F). Usually summer lasts from March to June, with the advent of rainy season in July, followed by winter which lasts till the end of February.
Economy :
The town mainly relies on the income generated by the Tirumala temple. On an average, 1 Lakh (100,000) pilgrims[citation needed] reach Tirumala every day through Tirupati and thus there are hundreds of restaurants, hotels, travel operators have been established in the region. The temple "devasthanam" (the caretakers of the temple) also spend millions every year, in various developmental activities in the region.
Government :
Tirupati was a municipal corporation, recently (in 2007) converted to corporation in Andhra Pradesh state. It contributes a member in Central Parliament and a member in state legislature in Indian politics.
Transport :
See Tirupati - Travel and Stay for more details
Tirupati is well connected with all three major cities Hyderabad (555km), Chennai (140 km) and Bangalore (280 km) in South India by air, road or rail. AP Tourism and SETC Operates Buses to Coimbatore. The distance between Tirumla and Tirupati down hills is 22 km. From the foothills, the Pilgrims are provided the shuttle buses by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (T.T.D) and Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Service (A.P.S.R.T.C) [1] with as frequent as one bus in every 1-2 minutes throughout the day. The bus journey to Tirumala is approximately 45 minutes. It is also very common practice among the devotees to walk from Tirupati to Tirumala. The walk takes around four hours on a well-laid out foot path.
Tirupati is well connected with all three major cities Hyderabad (555km), Chennai (140 km) and Bangalore (280 km) in South India by air, road or rail. AP Tourism and SETC Operates Buses to Coimbatore. The distance between Tirumla and Tirupati down hills is 22 km. From the foothills, the Pilgrims are provided the shuttle buses by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (T.T.D) and Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Service (A.P.S.R.T.C) [1] with as frequent as one bus in every 1-2 minutes throughout the day. The bus journey to Tirumala is approximately 45 minutes. It is also very common practice among the devotees to walk from Tirupati to Tirumala. The walk takes around four hours on a well-laid out foot path.
Darshan booking :
The TTD has changed the "Sudarshan Booking" counters from Tirumala to Tirupati.If you have not booked the tickets(Rs.50/-paid or Free)for Darshan from your City outside Tirupati, Now the Sudarshan Tickets can only be booked from Tirupati near Railway station, bus stand also at Srinivasa Complex.
Also There is e-darshan booking facility available at Hyderabad and well known towns of AP, Where we can make the way of darshan of Balaji easier. At Hyderabad the TTD office located at Himayatnagar. TTD maintains a very good website for the devotees for their online advanced booking for e-darshan and e-accommodation at
Also There is e-darshan booking facility available at Hyderabad and well known towns of AP, Where we can make the way of darshan of Balaji easier. At Hyderabad the TTD office located at Himayatnagar. TTD maintains a very good website for the devotees for their online advanced booking for e-darshan and e-accommodation at
Demographics :
As of 2001 India census,[3] Tirupati had a population of 227,657. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Tirupati has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 69%. In Tirupati, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. The local language is telugu
Culture :
The people of Tirupati speak mostly Telugu though Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and English are understood. The residents and visitors can be seen in both traditional attire like Dhoti, Lungi and Sari and modern attire. Practices of Tonsure and using Tilak are commonly seen. Songs and prayers of Lord Venkateswara like Annamacharya kirtanas can be heard all over the town.
Festivals:
Elephants Welcoming Lord Srinivasa
The town celebrates most Vaishnava festivals including Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and janmashtami with great splendor, while the Brahmotsavam celebrated every year during September is the most important festivals in Tirumala, when it receives millions of devotees over a short span of a week. Rathasapthami (Magha Shuddha Saptami) is another festival, celebrated during February, when Lord Venkateswara idol will be taken procession around the temple chariots.[4]Another local festival Gangamma Jathara is also celebrated as a major festival. The Goddess Gangamma is offered animal sacrifices and also pongal and other offerings by the devotees. She is considered as the sister of The Lord Almighty,Govinda
The town celebrates most Vaishnava festivals including Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and janmashtami with great splendor, while the Brahmotsavam celebrated every year during September is the most important festivals in Tirumala, when it receives millions of devotees over a short span of a week. Rathasapthami (Magha Shuddha Saptami) is another festival, celebrated during February, when Lord Venkateswara idol will be taken procession around the temple chariots.[4]Another local festival Gangamma Jathara is also celebrated as a major festival. The Goddess Gangamma is offered animal sacrifices and also pongal and other offerings by the devotees. She is considered as the sister of The Lord Almighty,Govinda
Religious Attractions :
KodhandaRamaSwamy Temple at Tirupathi
There are many temples in Tirupati and Tirumala. Some of them are:
Alamelu - Alamelu Mangamma Shrine
Padmavati Temple
Govindaraja Swamy Temple
Kodanda Rama Swamy Temple: The Temple is so beautiful in architecture. Lord Rama, Seetha and Lakshmana were present in a beautiful form in the temple. Lord AnjaneyaSwamy was seen near the foot of Lord Rama. The Temple is in the heart of the city. There is also another temple dedicated to Lord Anjaneya Swamy opposite to KodhandaRamaSwamy Temple. Prasadams were offered daily to pilgrims.
There are many temples in Tirupati and Tirumala. Some of them are:
Alamelu - Alamelu Mangamma Shrine
Padmavati Temple
Govindaraja Swamy Temple
Kodanda Rama Swamy Temple: The Temple is so beautiful in architecture. Lord Rama, Seetha and Lakshmana were present in a beautiful form in the temple. Lord AnjaneyaSwamy was seen near the foot of Lord Rama. The Temple is in the heart of the city. There is also another temple dedicated to Lord Anjaneya Swamy opposite to KodhandaRamaSwamy Temple. Prasadams were offered daily to pilgrims.
Kapila Theertham Temple Entrance at Tirupathi
Srinivasa Mangapuram
Kapila Theertham (Lord siva shrine, the only Shaiva Shrine in Tirupati): This Temple is Dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati. There is a beautiful waterfall near the Temple.
Srinivasa Mangapuram
Kapila Theertham (Lord siva shrine, the only Shaiva Shrine in Tirupati): This Temple is Dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati. There is a beautiful waterfall near the Temple.
ISCKON Temple at Tirupati :
ISKCON Lord Krishna Temple - The Temple is recently renewed and has its own style of architecture. The tower is coloured in Gold and White. The inside decorations are extremely attractive. The carvings of Lord NarasimhaSwamy, Lord VarahaSwamy and Krishna Leela were marvellous. Glass painting works on the windows depicting Lord Krishna's playful act and the ceilings decorated like Tanjore Art reveals the colourful masterpiece in art work. Each pillar is decorated with Ten Avatars of Lord Vishnu. The temple inside sanctom has Lord Krishna with Gopis beautifully dressed. Prabhupada's idol was also kept in the Temple. There is a beautiful park surrounded with lot of flowers, ponds, fountains and with Krishna Leela idols. "GOSALA" is also maintained. The Temple is on the way to Tirumala Hills.
On the way to Tirumala, World Hanuman Temple at Tirumala is where Hanuman's mother Anjana did penance
ISKCON Lord Krishna Temple - The Temple is recently renewed and has its own style of architecture. The tower is coloured in Gold and White. The inside decorations are extremely attractive. The carvings of Lord NarasimhaSwamy, Lord VarahaSwamy and Krishna Leela were marvellous. Glass painting works on the windows depicting Lord Krishna's playful act and the ceilings decorated like Tanjore Art reveals the colourful masterpiece in art work. Each pillar is decorated with Ten Avatars of Lord Vishnu. The temple inside sanctom has Lord Krishna with Gopis beautifully dressed. Prabhupada's idol was also kept in the Temple. There is a beautiful park surrounded with lot of flowers, ponds, fountains and with Krishna Leela idols. "GOSALA" is also maintained. The Temple is on the way to Tirumala Hills.
On the way to Tirumala, World Hanuman Temple at Tirumala is where Hanuman's mother Anjana did penance
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