Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Tirumala
Lord Venkateswara (Balaji)
Tirumala, Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh
The hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara on the seventh peak of the Seshachalam hills, one of the most visited places of worship in the world.
History
The temple stands on Venkatadri, the seventh of the seven hills of Tirumala. References to the Venkatam hill appear in early Tamil Sangam literature, and the Alvar saints sang of the Lord here, making it one of the 108 Divya Desams. Inscriptions show patronage from the Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, and the shrine reached great prosperity under the Vijayanagara kings — Krishnadevaraya visited several times and his statue with his queens still stands in the temple. The poet-saint Annamacharya composed thousands of kirtanas on the Lord in the 15th century. In 1933 the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was created to administer the temple, and today it runs one of the largest pilgrim services in the world, including free annadanam (meals) for lakhs of devotees.
Architecture
Dravidian style. The sanctum is covered by the gold-plated Ananda Nilaya Vimanam. The main idol is a standing swayambhu form, about 8 feet tall. Inner prakaram contains the Dhwajasthambham, Ranga Mandapam and Tirumala Raya Mandapam.
Festivals
- Srivari Brahmotsavam (Sep/Oct)
- Vaikunta Ekadasi
- Rathasapthami
- Teppotsavam
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Weather at the temple
Directions to Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple
How to reach
- By air
- Tirupati Airport (Renigunta), about 40 km
- By train
- Tirupati Main, about 22 km
- By road
- APSRTC buses every few minutes from Tirupati; 3,550-step Alipiri and 2,388-step Srivari Mettu footpaths.
Near the temple
Rooms, food, bus stands, railway stations, ATMs, hospitals, parkingPlaces come from OpenStreetMap and may be incomplete. Each list has a Google Maps link for more.