Tirupati
History & Culture
Located in the Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, the sacred temple town
of Tirupati houses the most revered shrine of the Hindu world - the Temple
of Lord Venkateswara. Lord Venkateswara, who is the presiding deity here, is
an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. No less popular than the temple town of
Varanasi, Tirupati receives about 12 million people annually from across the
country and the world. It is interesting to note that the overall receipt of
Tirupati amounts to 10 billion per annum.
Steeped in myths and legends, the origin of Tirupati is still a bone of contention
among historians and scholars. Sangam Literature, the earliest Tamil literature,
has reference to Thiruvengadam which has now been renamed Tirupati. Tiruapti
finds mentions even in the Puranic Literature that belong to the post-Mauryan
and early Gupta period. The Puranas also link the site with Vraha, an incarnation
of Lord Vishnu. And that is why the Vraha shrine is believed to be older than
the shrine of Lord Venkateswara.
Its genesis may be a contentious issue but this is testified that by the
5th century AD, it was a well established Hindu shrine. Even the Alvar and
Vaishnava saints had sung praises of Lord Venkateswara when they spearheaded
the Bhakti Movement in South India. In the years that followed, several
dynasties and kings supported and promoted the site providing it the glory
and prominence that it has today. Mainly emperors of dynasties like the
cholas, Hoysalas and Vijaynagar contributed a lot to the construction of the
temple. The temple inscriptions dating back to the 9th century also testify
the contributions of the Pallavas and the Cholas. Belief exists that
originally there was only one shrine located in Tirumala. And it was only
during the 12th century when the Vaishnavite saint Ramanuja paid a visit
here and established the temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati.
Tirupati teems with cultures and festivals. Pilgrims keep flocking to the
Tirupati Balaji Temple all the year. A chain of festivals keep alive the
spiritualism and the cultural essence of the town. Of all the festivals that
are celebrated here, the Brahmotsavam is the most important and the most
popular. Brahma, the Creator, himself is said to conduct the ceremony to
honour Lord Venkateswara, hence the word Brahmotsavam. The auspicious
occasion falls during September/ October. This is the time when the most
number of pilgrims is recorded here. Kalyanotsavam is another important
festival here that can be performed by only the wedded couples.
Arjita Brahmotsavam is performed for those who were less fortunate to
attend the grand celebrations of Barhmotsavam. The mini version is
celebrated everyday at the temple costing an amount of Rs 500 for a person.
Dolotsavam and Vasanathotsavam are the other festivals that are celebrated
here.
So, as you can see, all the year round devotees and pilgrims keep arriving
at the Tirupati Balaji Temple to have a glimpse of the lord and to seek
blessing from. The whole area including Tirumala exudes a spiritual charm
that can capture anyone's imagination. There is aplenty to experience and to
cherish for long.
