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| Hyderabad
| Vijayawada
|Tirupathi| Puttuparthi
| Vishakapatnam |
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Area : Tirumala
Hills- 26.97 Sq. kms
Main Languages: Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and English
Altitude : 2,800ft. Above the sea level
The ‘holy hill’ of Tirumala in the extreme southeast of Andhra
Pradesh is one of the most important pilgrimage centers in India and
the Venkateshwara Temple here is claimed to be the busiest in the
world-eclipsing Jerusalem Rome and Mecca in the sheer number of
pilgrims. Nestled on top of the divine mountain-Tirumala and the
seven hills of the Eastern Ghats lies the temple of Lord
Venkateshwara. The Tirumala shrine is a masterpiece of Dravidian
architecture. This ancient temple has also found a mention in
various Sastras and Puranas. It is considered as the richest Hindu
Temple in the world.
According to a story a local chieftain called Tondaman discovered
the idol of the Lord in a huge anthill and later built a temple. The
image of the deity is profusely bejewelled in precious stones worth
millions.The hills are said to resemble the shape of the mythical
serpent Shish. Hence the deity is called ‘Shashachalavasa’ and the
‘Lord of Seven Hills’. There are other famous shrines in Tirupati
town-Govindarajaswamy temple, KodandaRamaswamy,Tiruchanur (Goddess
Padmavathi), Kapila Theertham (Lord Shiva) and Srinivasa Mangapuram
(Lord Venkateshwara).
The crowds are administered by the efficient Tirumala Tirupathi
Devasthanams. Most pilgrims are housed in choulties in both Tirumala
and Tirupati.Tirumala is an engrossing place. It’s one of the few
places in India that allows non-Hindus into the sanctum. Down the
hill from the main temple is Sri Padmavathi Amma Vari Temple
dedicated to Lakshmi the goddess of abundance.The main of Tirupati
lies at the bottom of the hill where there are several temples some
centers of Pilgrimage in their own right. The seven-headed Serpent
God Adidesha who protects the Sleeping Vishnu under his hood.
Places of attraction :-
Chadragiri:
The fort is built on a huge rock about 56 mts. high and the remains
of palaces and temple are found here. It became the capital of
Vijaynagaras in 1600 after their defeat at the battle of Talikota 35
years earlier. Relive the lives of Vijaynagar royal families in the
Raja and Rani Mahal accompanied by the exciting sound and light
show.
Kailasanatha Kona:
This lovely natural waterfalls in the valley of Nagari Hill is near
Puttur. It is believed that a bath at this mineral rich waterfall
has curative effects.
Sri Kalahasti Temple-Legendary Existence
Sri Kalahasti temple is 36 kms. From Tirupati and is located between
two steep hills on the banks of the river Swarnamukhi. The temple of
Lord Shiva is in the form of ‘Vayu Linga’. Legend has it that the
Linga was worshipped by a spider (Sri) who built a web over it, a
Snake (Kala) which placed a gem on the Linga and an Elephant (Hasti)
who washed the Linga with water. The name of this place is derived
from this legend.
Tiruchanur:
5 kms southeast has a temple to Parvati the consort of Venkateshwara. |
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