TIRUMALA HILL & TEMPLE
Located on a hilltop,853 meters above the main sea level,Tirumala (Tiru means holy and Mala means hill) is a major pilgrimage center near the Tirupati town in the Chittor district of Andhra Pradesh,India...Spread over an area of 10.33 square miles,the Tirumala hill shrine consists of seven hills namely Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrishabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri…
The main temple of Tirumala Tirupati lies on the seventh hill called Venkatadri, which is why this holy Tirumala Temple is also called “The Temple Of Seven Hills”…Lord Sri Venkateswara,also known as Balaji and Govinda,is the presiding deity of this holy temple…
Today,if we go by the available statistics,about thirty to forty million pilgrims, from all over the world,visit this holy temple every year making Lord Sri Venkateswara the most worshiped Hindu God in the world and Tirumala the most visited place of worship…
With its annual revenue running into billions of Indian rupees,Tirumala is also the richest pilgrimage center of faith in the modern world..
According to Varaha Purana, during Treta Yugam, Lord Sri Rama resided here along with Sita Devi and Lakshmana on his return from Lankapuri.[11]
The town was an established center of Vaishnavism around the 5th century A.D. during which it was praised byAlvars. The temple rites were formalized by the Vaishnavite saint Ramanujacharya in the 11th century AD.[12][13]Tirupati survived the Muslim and British invasions. During the Muslim invasion of South India, the deity of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam was brought to Tirupati for safekeeping.
The temple was built and upgraded in parts by various kingdoms. The inscriptions in the temple were found in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages of which majority are in Tamil followed by Telugu , Kannada and Sanskrit[14][15] which specify the contributions of the Pallava Kingdom around the 9th century AD, Chola Kingdom around the 10th century AD and the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century AD.[16] During the 15th century, Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya sung many songs in praise of the holy town in Telugu. He compared it to be divine, including the rocks, streams, trees, animals, and adds that it is heaven on the earth.
At 12 km point on the Tirupati - Tirumala Ghat road, there is a major discontinuity of stratigraphic significance that represents a period of remarkable serenity in the geological history of the Earth. This is referred to as Eparchaean Unconformity. This Unconformity separates the Proterozoic Nagari Quartazite and Archean granite representing a time gap of 800 Ma.[20] In 2001, the Geological Survey of India(GSI) declared the Eparchaean Unconfirmity to be one of the 26 "Geological Monuments of India".
Silathoranam(Natural arch) atTirumala Hills, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
Silathoranam, a Natural arch and a distinctive geological wonder is located in Tirumala Hills at a distance of 1 km from Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The Arch measures 8 metres in width and 3 metres in height and is curved out of quartizite of Cuddapah Supergroup of Middle to Upper Proterozoic(1600 to 570 Ma) by waethering agents like water and wind
( Some portions of this post needs citation especially on the days when Lord Balaji is worshiped as Ambal and Shiva(marked with an *). People who are in Tirupati or those who have authentic sources may send me information, One of the Links mention that the Balaji Temple is that of Siva.There are other sources that say it is of Lord Muruga ,Ambal.I have a detailed post on this.People may contribute to this as well.)
1.The Arch at the entrance of Tirumala Hills is unique in the world.
”Lord Balaji‘s Face in the Hills
Natural Arch, Tirumala hills is a distinctive geological wonder located 1 km (0.6 mi) North of the Tirumala hills temple, near the Chakra Teertham in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Arch is also called Silathoranam (శిలాతోరణం)in local language (Telugu language: “Sila” means ‘rock’ and “thoranam” means a garland strung over a threshold, connecting two vertical columns or an ‘arch’ as in this case). The arch measures 8 m (26.2 ft) in width and 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, and is naturally formed in the quartzites of Cuddapah Supergroup of Middle to Upper Proterozoic (1600 to 570 Ma) due to natural erosive forces.[1][2][3]
The arch is one of the few natural arches or bridges in Asia. But there are many others in other continents, such as the Rainbow Bridge (Arch) andArches National Park in Utah, USA which depicts 2000 sandstone arches, the Durdle Door arch in Dorset and the Arch of Cut Through in UK, Pravčická bránain Bohemian Switzerland, in Czech Republic, Pont d’Arc in Southern France, Rainbow cave arch in the Galilee Israel, El Arco de Cabo San Lucasin Mexico and London Arch in Australia(wiki)
5.Lord Balaji is worshiped as Goddess Uma (Ambal) on four days , as Vishnu for two days and Shiva as One day in a week.
Bilva Leaves, a must for worship of Lord Siva are used during archana (worship by various names of the Lord) to Lord Balaji on all Fridays. Similarly the same Bilva leaves are used during archanas in the month of Marghazhi.( 15th Dec. to 15 Jan).
“AmbAL Amsa are seen on Lord VenkateshvarA’s image, in the Simha LalATam, Yoga MudrA, Bhoga MudrA, Varada MudrA, Kattiya Vilambita MudrA, the meTTi, kolusu,taNDai (toe-rings and anklet) on the feet. All these are the marks of Sri AlarmElu Mangai. The Kattiya Vilambita Hastam belongs only to AmbAL, not to VishNu. The Vilambita Hasta MudrA can be seen on the images of Kanchi Kamakshi, TiruvidaiMarudur Mookambika, Kanyakumari Bhagavati Amman, Tiruvaiyaru Dharmasamvardini, and Mayiladuturai Mookambikai. The image of Bhagavati Amman on the banks of the BharatapapuzhA river, Kerala, has an exact resemblance of Lord
VenkateshvarA.
No one can deny or hide these female AMsas on the Lord’s body. We can see them with our own eyes. Certain pujas too resemble those done in AmbAL temples. To VenkateshvarA, abhiShekam is done on Fridays, a
21-cubit sari vastram, abhiShekam with turmeric water, and
Brahmotsava during Navaratri are conducted. The abhiShekam is done by
pouring out water in a measure of 51 porringers. The number 51 refers to the
count of Shakti PiThas.
Every Friday, bilva leaves, which belong to Shiva, are used for Archana. Now it is used in the Archana done in Margazhi month.
On the day of ShivarAtri, an utsavam called kShetra PAlikA is done. On that day, the utsava mUrti is adorned with diamond streaks of VibhUti and the deity is taken on the streets on procession.
*The Tirumala temple is an EkamUrti Alayam. There is no Sannidhi for any other deity. But then there is a woman deity known as Tirupati GangammA. The festival called GangammA JAtra is held once in a year. In those days, goats and chicken were sacrified during this time. This Gangamma is a ShivagaNa, Yogini.
There is also an aitihyam (legendary account) that during the abhiShekam, the Lord opens his third eye. In those days, the ArchakAs agreed with this
belief.
The VishNu image at Srirangam has a streak resembling a beam of
light on its forehead, which is the general identity seen in ancient VishNu
images. On the sacred body of the Lord of Tirupati or his miniature image, there
is no such mark. The broad nAmam was fixed up only since the last 150 or
200 years.
As against the VishNu SahasranAmam chanted at Archana in other
VishNu temples, only the Venkatesha SahasranAmam is chanted here. The first line
of this composition is VenkateshAya namaH and the next line is VirUpAkShAya namaH. VirUpAkShA is Shiva’s name.
Lord Venkateshvara is adored in the Shaiva Tirumurais and in Tirumandiram. A sage-poet named TALLapAkkam AnnamaiyyA adored the Lord in his songs as ParaBrahmam and the Ishvara with ShivAMsam and wrote his songs on copper plates. Around 350 years ago, some ArchakAs who did not appreciate it, melted those plates and made them into copper vessles and plates.”
On Maha Sivaratri day which is considered sacred for the worship of Lord Siva a festival called Kshetra Palika is celebrated at Tirupati. On that day the Urchava Idol is decorated with a flat diamond studded ornament resembling the three streaks of vibhuthi (sacred ash applied on foreheads in three lines by worshipers of Lord Siva) and taken out in procession on the streets.
6.The Tirumala ranges show the face of Lord Balaji.
There are many a miracles, truths, and practices in vogue of which many of us are unaware. An attempt has been made to compile and present some of these here under.
1. About one KM distance away from the main temple of Balaji, there are a few rare stone structural formations known as Sila Thoranam (Stone Decorations). This is the only place wherein such stones are seen in this world. The age of these stones is reckoned about 2500 million years. The idol of Balaji is carved out of these types of stones.
2. Pachcha Karpooram (Literally means Green Camphor) a soft white chemical of which a pinch is crushed by hand and added for fragrance to the kalasa theerthams as well as sweet preparations like payasam, sakkarai pongal etc., made out of jaggery is applied on the main granite idol of Lord Balaji daily. This is a mild acid which may cause itching. It is said, if this chemical is pasted on any block of granite it would result in cracks developing in the stone. But surprisingly when this is applied on the stone formations found at Tirupati they have no effect on them. Though this is applied on the idol of Lord Balaji daily, round the year till date there are no damages to the idol of Lord Balaji.
3. In all granite stone idols of gods and goddesses one can see the chipping marks of the sculptor’s chisel on the stones. Similarly in the case of metallic casting of idols one can detect visible marks of the liquid metal having been poured for the casting of the idol at placesnear the holes for pouring the liquid metal.But the idol of Lord Balaji is totally devoid of such marks or blemishes.Not only that. Intricate carvings/workmanship have a smooth finish giving one a feel that it is a divine hand that has finished the idol. The various decorative ornaments carved on the idol of Lord Balaji, like the chutti on the forehead, the ear rings, the eye brows, the decorative snake formations etc- all look bright and spick and span like polished ornaments.
4. The idol of the Balaji always maintains a temperature of around 110*F. The Tirumala Hills is at a height of about 3000 feet. Abhishegam sacred bath is done early in the morning around 4.30 a.m. to the idol with cold water, cold milk and other dravyams. But immediately after the sacred bath, fine particles of water, appear on the body of the idol just like sweating. The priests, gently wipe the sweating by pressing a silken cloth on the body of the idol. On all Thursdays, when the ornaments are put on the idol of Balaji and when removed just before the commencement of the sacred bath they are found to be very warm.
It is famous because:
Lord venkateswara at Tirumala is considered to be a swayambhu idol..... He is also considered as "kaliyugadaivam". There is a belief that the god is one of the incarnation of vishnu ie., dashavataras...but the fact is, the god is not an incarnation but actual image of lord vishnu. The main reason that the temple became more famous is because of the sri chakra yantram established below the place of hundi according to vastu by Adi Shankaracharya acts as a jana-dhana akarshana yantra(yantra that attracts riches and people).Besides that it is the only vaishnava temple that has sri chakra yantram.Generally it was established by him only in temples of lady gods(ammavari temples) and the temple has so many mysteries. Along with the temple, seshachalam hills are the homes of many rare species of plants and animals which made the world to recognise it.
According to Varaha Purana, during Treta Yugam, Lord Sri Rama resided here along with Sita Devi and Lakshmana on his return from Lankapuri.