Tirupati
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
Shesha. Hence the deity is called ‘Shashachalavasa’ and the ‘Lord of
Seven Hills’. There are other famous shrines in Tirupati town-Govindarajaswamy
temple ,Kodanda Ramaswamy, 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.
