Tirupathi
State : Andhra Pradesh
District : Chittoor
Coordinates : 13.39° N 79.25° E
Area : 476.66 km²
Elevation : 920 m above sea level
Time zone : IST (UTC+ 5:30 )
Population (2006) : 6,158,677
Density : 22,719/km²
Codes : Postal : 571501
Telephone : +91-877
Vehicle : AP-03
History
Tirupati is a city located in Andhra Pradesh , India . Sangam literature, the earliest of Tamil literature mentions Thiruvengadam (now named Tirupati) which used to form the northernmost border of the Tamil Kingdoms. Sangam literature, such as Ilango Vadigal's Silapadikaram and Satanar's Manimekalai, bear testimony to the existence of a shrine at Tirupati. Puranic literature which was composed roughly around the post-Mauryan and early-Gupta era also mentions of Tirupati as the Aadhi Varaha Kshetra. The Puranas associate the site with Lord Varaha one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The Varaha shrine holds great importance in Tirupati and is said to be older than the main sanctum of Venkateswara. Even up to the time of Ramanuja, the famous Vaishnava scholar of the 12th century, the identity of the deity was still disputed until Ramanuja confirmed it to be Vishnu.
Whatever its origins, it was probably a well established Hindu shrine by the 5th century A.D, henceforth the Alvars or Vaishnava saints who led the Bhakti or Devotional movement in South India sung in praise of Lord Venketeswara as Vishnu. For the centuries to come Tirupati was richly endowed by the kings and emperors of various dynasties thus adding to its current reputation as the richest and most opulent temple in the world. The Imperial Cholas, Hoysalas, the Vijayanagara emperors were just some of the contributors for building the temple and donating gold and other ornaments for the temple.
People & Culture
Festivals
Tirupati Tirumala Balaji Temple celebrates many festivals but the annual festival of 'Brahmotsavam' is particularly important. This festival is celebrated extravagantly for nine days in the month of September every year. The Garudostavam and Rathotavam rituals take place on the fifth and sixth day of the festival. Thus, attracting flocks of tourists and devotees to the temple.
Kotappakonda Temple Fair
Kotappakonda in Narasaraopet taluk of Guntur district is a temple of Koteseswara Swamy , a chief place of worship. On the Mahashivarathri day, a big fair is held and lakhs of people participate in it. Sweet meats, clothes, bangles, toys, bamboo articles, and also goats, cows and other domestic animals are sold in this fair. Devotees who come here take a vow get their heads shaved. Many of them come to the hill from their villages with decorated and lighted prabhas to redeem their vows. These prabhas number about five hundred at the fair. Some of them are nearly thirty - five metres high and are expense.
Maridamma Festival & Fair
Maridamma temple is located in Peddapuram taluk in East Godavari district. Maridamma festival is celebrated for thirty-one days from the Amavasya in the month of Jyeshtha to the Amavasya in the month of Ashadha. Thousands congregate with dances like kolatoms and display physical feats and skills with sticks. They also revel in music, dance drumming, garaga dances, processions and other communal activities. A wide variety of house hold articles are sold in the fair held during the festival. Cycle races, cattle shows, parrot circuses and agricultural exhibitions are also held here. 'Kumbham' is carried in decorated vessels, kept in open carts. Sometimes men and women dressed to resemble those personages stand on the carts. These carts are taken in procession to the temple to the accompaniment of music and dance and offered to the God, then food is distributed as 'prasadam'.
Sambhulingeswara Kalyanotsavam
The Kalyanotsavam of Sambhulingeswara is celebrated during Mahasivaratri for five days. On the first day, Prabhas are taken out in procession. Kalyanam, village procession, Rathotsavam Ponnaseva, Vasantotsavam and Pavalimpuseva are performed on the following days. Cash, silver and gold ornaments, coconuts, fruits and flowers are offered to the Lord. Devotees also offer cows and calves, tying - them to the Dhwajasthambha in fulfillment of their vows. It is believed that childless women who perform puja for five days, wearing wet clothes, would be blessed with children. Fasting and Jagaranam are also observed. A large five-day fair including a cattle fair is held near the temple.
Yellaramma Jatara
Yellaramma temple is situated in Madapaka in Tanuku Taluk of West Godavari district. Yellaramma Jatara is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of chaitra. Yellaramma is companion of Kakatamma, the famous goddess of Kaktiya monarch. She has four hands, holding a damaruka and a sword in the two right hands and a trident and a drinking vessel in the two left hands. Below the feet of the deity is the image of an animal identified as a fox by some and a bandicoot by others. Goddess yellamma (Yellaramma) is worshipped all over Andhra. The garaga procession of this place is very famous and a fair is also organised.
Other temples in the Madapaka like Someswaraswami, Kesavaswami and Srirama Ganapati also celebrate Kalyanotsavams. Someswaraswami Kalyanotswavam is celebrated for five days in the month of Magha. Kesavaswami Kalyanotsavam is celebrated for seven days in the month of phalguna.
Jaladurga Kalyanotsavam
Kolletikola in Kaikalur taluk of Krishna district is a place of historical significance. There was a temple dedicated to Jaladurga in Kolletikola. The festival of this deity is celebrated for sixteen days from the first day of the month of phalguna. The tenth, eleventh and twelfth are important festive days. On the eleventh day the wedding of Jaladurga and Gokarmeswara swami is celebrated. About ten thousands fowls, five hundred goats, and a thousand sheep are sacrificed to the deity. The sacrifices are conducted behind the fort, far away from the temple. Coconuts, plantains, saffron and kumkum are also offered to the deity. About one lakh persons from neighbouring districts congregate during the festival. A fair is held in front of the temple.
Marriage of Bhadrakali and Virabhadra
Tegada in Nagur, independent sub-taluk of Khannan district, has Bhadrakali and Virabhadraswami temple as a place of worship. The marriage of Bhadrakali and Virabhadra is celebrated for two days on the 13th and 14th days of the dark fortnight in the month of Magha. On the morning of Trayodasi Lord Virabhadraswami is taken to the river Godavari, which is about three kilometers from this place to the accompaniment of music and Abhishekam is performed with the holy waters and the idol is brought back to the temple. Then 'sunku' is measured before the Lord. Sunku is explained as follows.
Some rice is measured before the image of the Lord with a new earthen pitcher and poured into a new pot, then it is covered with an earthen plate and is wrapped in a new cloth. The seal of the Lord is affixed on the knot of the cloth and the pot is kept to the left of the pedestal of the image. Before the procession of the Lord starts in the night, the pot is opened and the same person measures that rice again with the same pitcher, more rice is found, than what was measured into the pot in the morning. If it is found that the quantity of the rice in the pot has increased, the festival is celebrated considering it as a good omen. There is a procession throughout the night. During the procession some devotees pierce their tongues or cheeks with marasalu, coconuts, jaggery, fruits and pumpkins are offered. Some devotees bathe in Godavari and observe fasting and jagaranam. Some devotees do fire- walking also.
Durgamma Festival
This festival is celebrated for four days in the month of Bhadrapada. On the first day, the water for worship is brought from a near by river Majira. On the second day, a buffalo intended for sacrifice is taken to the river. After worshipping the water-goddess, the buffalo is washed there. It is then decorated and brought to the temple in a procession to the accompaniment of music. The next day the buffalo is sacrificed and after that devotees sacrifice innumerable jowls, goats, rams and buffaloes. In the evening, the ground in-front of the temple is cleaned and a heap of cooked rice and mutton is kept as offering to the deity. An unbaked earthen pot is buried up to its neck and a winnow is placed over it. A woman sits on the winnow and apparently possessed predicts future events. A man representing poturaju, the brother of Durgamma, is smeared with turmeric and vermilion and decorated round his head, neck and waist with margosa leaves. He goes round the temple and kills a sacrificial lamb by biting its throat. On the last day, devotees go round the temple with bomalu (puppets). Carts and bullocks decorated with flowers and coloured sarees are taken round the temple. Prasadam is distributed. A fair is held here during the festival.
Other Temple Festivals
Nizamabad, the district headquarters of Nizamabad is another historical place. Bada Rama Mandir, Dalta Mandir temples of Hanuman, Raghunathaswami, Nilakantheswaraswami and Venkateswara are the places of worship. In Bada Rama Mandir, Sri Rama Navami festival is celebrated from ten days and Dalta jayanti is celebrated in Dalta Mandir for nine days in the month of Margasera. Bhajans, Harikathas and free feeding are the order of the day. The Nilkantheswara temple is located on a picturesque hillock and is enclosed by a high wall. The significance of the temple is that the rays of the rising sun fall directly on Shiva lingam. Nilakantheswara festival is celebrated for two days during Ratha Saptami in the month of Magha and more than thirty thousand devotees congregate. The Jhanda festival or Venkateswara swami mela is celebrated for fifteen days in the month of Bhadrapada. A flag is installed in a particular place and pilgrims throng to see it. It is carried to Tirupati far away in Chittor district and brought back every year. Some devotees redeem their vow here, if they are unable to go Tirupati. Offerings are made in the form of cash as well as in kind.
Bejjanki in the Karimmagar taluk of Karimmagar district has the Lakshminarasimha Swami temple , on a near by hillock. The annual celebrations of Lakshminarasimha Swami and the Andal Kalyanam and Ratholsavam are held here for twelve days in the month of Chaitra according to the agama Sastra. Bandlaseva is the worship of carts. The carts are washed and cleaned and all the parts are painted red and white. Festoons of green mango leaves and coloured paper are tied to them. Bullocks are also washed and decorated with various colour designs. The carts are driven as a part of a competition. The loud music of drums and coaxing and goading of the bullocks into a faster pace are infectious and exciting. At three in the morning the cart festival is celebrated. Devotees fulfill their vows by lighting the path with torches, while the idol for procession is brought down from hill top to be placed on the cart. About twenty - five thousand devotees congregate during this festival and a fair is held in an area of over thirteen acres. Uravakonda, the taluk headquarters in Anantapur district has Siddheswara, Malleswara Subbaraya and Pundurangaswami temples. The Siddheswara temple is located within the spacious high-walled compound of Gavimutt which was established by Karibasavaswami, the disciple of Vairagya, Chennabasavaswami, a great Saiva saint preaching the Basava cult. These saints are known for their austere life and service to humanity. The samadhi of Karibasavaswami which is near the yogamantapa has been a place of worship for the last two centuries. The chariot festival is celebrated for the eight days in the month of phalguna. Forty to fifty thousand devotees from different states attend this festival. A fair is held during these eight days in the open grounds in front of the temple. Feeding of poor is also organised.
Tourist Places
Tirupati Temple |  |
A Sacred Monument |  |
 | |
 | |
Excursions :
Talakona
This enchanting picnic spot of great scenic beauty is located 40 kms from Tirupati .
Kanipakam
The present temple was constructed in the llth century by king Kulottunga of Chola dynasty and further developed in 1336 by the Emperors of Vijayanagaram. One peculiarity of the Idol is that it eternally grows in size. To testify the fact that the Lord is growing,the Silver "Kawacham" that was manufactured 50 years ago is now too small for the idol.
Horsley Hills
A perfect summer retreat, this picture sque hill station is (it 7265 //; above sea level, ft is 151 km from Tirupati and 150 km from Hangalorc. It is 25 km from Madanapalli and connected by daily bus service. The hills arc breathtaking and enchanting with rich flora and fauna
Kailasanatka Kona
Located 43 kms from Tirupati, the Kailasanatha Kona perennial waterfalls originate from a creek in a rock. This enchanting landscape becomes all the more worthseeing as there is a small temple of Shiva & Parvati. The water is considered to have medicinal values. Try this out !
Sri Kalahasti
According to legend, the linga oj Lord Shiva was worshipped b\ a spider (Sri) who built a \veb over it. A snake (Kala) adorned the linga \vith a gem, while an elephant (Hasti) washed the linga with water. Hence, the name, Sri Kalahasti. Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of 'Vayulinga' in this temple located about 36 kms from Tirupati and between two steep hills on the bank of the river Swarnamukhi.This is one oj the finest examples of exquisite temple architecture. It was here that Lord Shiva tested the unshakable devotion of Kanna (later, Bhaktha Kannappa). Devotees come here to perform rituals to gain boons.
Narayanavanam
This interesting place is believed to be the venue of the sacred marriage between Lord Vcnkateswara and Goddess Padmavati. The temple lies 36kms from Tirupati and is dedicated to Lord Kalyana Venkateswaraswamv.
Srinivasa Mangapuram
Lying 12 kms to the west of Tirupati. Srinivasa Mangapuram is a small village where Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavathi are believed to have stayed for some time after their marriage.
Chandragiri Fort
A stronghold of the Vijaya nagar Empire, Chandragiri is situated on the banks I of the river Swarnamukhi, located 11 kms from Tirupati. This ancient fort was built on a huge rock and the ruins of the palaces and temples tell the story of the bygone glorious past. The palaces, mahals and temples of the royal family are simply breathtaking. APTDC offers a beautiful sound and light show everyday in Telugu & English at Chandragiri Fort.
Important Numbers.
Std Code : +91-877
Airport : Indian Air Lines +91-0877-2275336
Railway Station : Railway Enquiry +91-0877-131
I.S.B.T : APSRTC, Central Bus Stand Enq
Ph:+91-877- 22333
Police Station : 100
Ambulance : Ambulance Services
Tirupati
Phone:+91- 0877-2220120
Banks :
Repco Bank
25, Upstairs, G Car Street ,
Tirupati- 517501
Phone:+91- 0877-2258802
Canara Bank
257, S M C, Thirumala,
Tirupati- 517504
Phone: +91-0877-2270998
Indian Bank
Near Lepakshi Building ,
Tirumala,Tirupati- 517504
Phone:+91- 0877-2270981
Vijaya Bank
14, Officers Quarters,
Behind Uttaradi Mutt, Thirumala,
Tirupati- 517504
Phone: +91-0877-2270898
State Bank Of Mysore
564 C, Balaji Colony,
Tirupati- 517001
Phone: +91-0877-2260754
ICICI Bank Ltd
10-14-577, R.V Towers ,
Near Central Park , Tilak Road ,
Tirupati- 517501
Phone: +91-0877-2259518
Punjab National Bank
D.No: 142, T P Area,
Tirupati- 517501
Phone:+91- 0877-2258050, 2253484
HDFC Bank Limited
10-14-575/A3, Mosque Road ,
V V Mahal Road , Tirupati- 517501
Phone:+91- 0877-2257814/ 15
State Bank Of Travancore
V V Mahal Road ,
Tirupati- 517501
Phone: +91-0877-2254351
Corporation Bank
37, A.G.K.Buildings,
Gandhi Road ,
Tirupati- 517501
Phone: +91-0877-2254077
posted by suresh prasad @ 1:21 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home