| Location |
67-km From Chittoor,
Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh |
| Famous For Having |
World's Richest Temple |
| Famous As |
A Pilgrimage Centre |
| Nearby Attractions |
Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami Temple,
Sri Venugopalaswami Temple, Srikalahasti. |
|
| NEARBY CITIES |
| Renigunta : 10-km |
| Chandragiri Fort : 12-km |
| Thalakona : 30-km |
| Gudur : 100-km |
| Horsely Hills : 151-km |
|
Tirupati - A Divine
Destination
Tirupati City is located in the southeastern part of Andhra
Pradesh State. It lies about 152-km northwest of Chennai
in the Palkonda Hills. Tirupati is known as the abode
of the Hindu god Venkateshvara (also spelt as 'Venkatesvara'),
"Lord of Seven Hills". About 10-km northwest
of Tirupati, at an elevation of 750m, is the sacred hill
of Tirumala, which was considered so holy that before
1870 non-Hindus were not permitted to ascend it.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Climate : Tropical
Temperature
Range
Summer :
Max 43°C and Min 22°C
Winter : Max 32°C and Min 14°C
Rainfall
: Seasonal
Clothing :
Light Cottons
|
Back To History - The Ruling
Dynasties
Tirupati was developed mainly by the contributions made
by kings during their rule. Almost all the kings from
great dynasties of the southern peninsula have paid
homage to Lord Sri Venkateswara in this ancient shrine
of Tirupati. The Pallavas of Kancheepuram (9th century
AD), the Cholas of Thanjavur (a century later), the
Pandyas of Madurai, and the kings and chieftains of
Vijayanagar (14th - 15th century AD) were devotees of
the Lord and they competed with one another in endowing
the temple with rich offerings and contributions.
During the rule of the Vijayanagar dynasty contributions
made to the temple increased enormously. Krishnadevaraya
had statues of himself and his consorts installed at
the portals of the Tirupati temple, and these statues
can be seen to this day. There is also a statue of Venkatapati
Raya in the main temple at Tirupati.
The decline of the Vijayanagar dynasty did not affect
the contributions to this place as many nobles and chieftains
from all parts of the country continued to pay their
homage and offer gifts to the temple. Raghoji Bhonsle,
the Maratha general, visited the temple and set up a
permanent endowment for the conduct of worship in the
temple. He presented valuable jewels to the Lord, including
a large emerald, which is still preserved in a box named
after the General. Among the later rulers who have endowed
large amounts are the rulers of Mysore and Gadwal.
After the fall of Hindu kingdoms, came the Muslim rulers
of Karnataka and after their downfall the British took
over, and many of the temples came under their supervisory
and protective control.
In 1843 AD, the East India Company divested
itself of the direct management of non-Christian places
of worship and native religious institutions.
|
| PRIME ATTRACTIONS |
Lord Venkateswara
Temple At Tirumala
Tirumala has the historic shrine
of Sri Venkateswara (also known as Balaji), "the
Lord of Seven Hills", who is famous all over the
country.
|
|
Padmavati
Temple
In Tiruchanur, 5-km from Tirupati
is this large temple dedicated to goddess Padmavati,
the consort of Lord Venkateswara (Balaji). It also known
as "Alamelumangapuram" and it is said that
a visit to Tirumala is fruitful only after visiting
the Sri Padmavati Devi temple. |
Govindaraja
Swami Temple
One of the most important temples
in Tirupati is Sri Govindarajaswami Temple, which was
consecrated by Saint Ramanujacharya in 1130 AD. It is
located in the heart of the Tirupati.
|
Kodandaramaswami
Temple
Located in the centre of the Tirupati
town, the presiding deities over here are Sita, Rama
and Lakshmana. Chola king built it during the 10th century
AD. The temple of Anjaneyaswami, which is directly opposite,
is a sub-shrine of this temple.
|
Sri Kapileswaraswami
Temple
Situated about 3-km to the north
of Tirupati, at the foot of the Tirumala Hills, is the
only temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, in Tirupati. Annual
Brahmotsavams and festivals like Vinayaka Chavithi,
Maha Shivaratri, Skhanda Shasthi and Annabhishekam are
performed in a grand manner. The sacred waterfall called
"Kapila Teertham " (also known as "Alwar
Teertham") is located here.
|
Sri Kalyana
Venkateswaraswami Temple
12-km to the west of Tirupati at
Srinivasa Mangapuram one can find Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami
temple, where it is believed that Lord Venkateswara
stayed here after his marriage with Sri Padmavati Devi,
before proceeding to Tirumala.
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| EXCURSIONS |
Srikalahasti
Srikalahasti is one of the most sacred
'Shiva Kshetras'. It is in 'Srikalahasti Mandalam' of
Chittoor district, about 60-km from Tirupati. It is
situated at the foot of the Kailasagiri hill abutting
the river Swarnamukhi, to the west of the Kannapa hill.
|
Sri Venugopalaswami
Temple
Karvetinagaram is 58-km from Tirupati
where there is Sri Venugopalaswami temple. The main
deity of the temple is Sri Venugopalaswami with His
consorts - Sri Rukmini Ammavaru and Sri Satyabhama Ammavaru.
|
Sri Kalyana
Venkateswaraswami Temple
Narayanavanam is 40-km from Tirupati,
where Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami temple is situated.
Lord Sri Venkateswaraswami and Sri Padmavati Ammavaru,
daughter of Akasa Maharaja were married here. Sri Kalyana
Venkateswaraswami is the main deity here.
|
Sri Veda Narayanaswami
Temple
Sri Veda Narayanaswami temple, located
in Nagalapuram 70-km southeast of Tirupati houses an
image of the 'Matsya' (fish) form of Vishnu, with Sridevi
and Bhudevi on either side.
It is believed that Lord
Sri Maha Vishnu, in the form of Matsya, killed the 'Rakshasa'
(demon) Somakudu here, and retrieved the Vedas from
the latter. |
Sri Chennakesavaswami
Temple
Tallapaka village at a distance of
100-km from Tiurpati which is the birth place of Sri
Annamacharya, the Sankeertana Acharyulu who was born
to Sri Narayanasuri and Lakkamamba. Sri Chennakesavaswami
Temple is located in this village and is believed the
temple was constructed and administered by the Matti
Rajahs about 1000 years ago.
|
Sri Kariya
Manikyaswami Temple
Sri Kariya Manikyaswami temple also
called "Sri Perumala Swami temple" is located
in Nagiri. It is 51-km from Tirupati and it is believed
that at this place, Lord Sri Maha Vishnu killed 'Makara'
(a crocodile) and saved 'Gajendra' (an elephant). This
episode is referred to as the 'Gajendramoksham' in the
'Mahabhagavatam'.
|
Sri Prasanna
Venkateswaraswami Temple
14-km from Tirupati in Appalayagunta
there is a temple of Sri Prasanna Venkateswaraswami.
It is believed that Sri Venkateswaraswami, after marrying
Sri Padmavati Ammavaru, blessed Sri Siddeswara and other
sages here.
|
Chandragiri
Fort
Chandragiri was the former capital
of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is located at a distance
of 12-km from Tirupati, in Chittoor district. The forts
and Mahals at the place are attractions for tourists.
|
Horsley Hills
Horsley hills are located 151-km
from Tirupati. Horsley hills are one of the famous hill
resorts of Andhra Pradesh . It is named after WD Horsley,
who was the collector of Cuddapah district. Horsley
chose this spot for his summer residence. It is situated
at an altitude of 1,265m, which makes this place delightfully
cool, with a maximum summer temperature of 32°C,
and minimum of 20°C. the shady slopes found in this
are wooded with luxurious vegetation.
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Thalakona
Tirupati has many tourist attractions
apart from the temple of Lord Venkateswara. Thalakona
is a forest located 30-km from Tirupati. Deep in these
forests is a 6m perennial waterfall known as "Talakona".
It is an enchanting picnic spot of great scenic beauty.
It is believed that this place is the threshold to the
seven hills of Tirumala.
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| HOW TO GET THERE |
|
Air:
Direct flights to Tirupati are available from Hyderabad
and Chennai only.
Rail:
Tirupati is the nearest railway
station. There are trains that travel via Renigunta
or Gudur, but do not touch Tirupati. In such cases,
Renigunta or Gudur, are convenient points to alight.
From Renigunta / Gudur one can reach Tirupati by train,
bus, or taxi.
Buses:
APSRTC buses run from all the important
places in the state and between Tirupati and Tirumala.
TTD also runs buses between Tirupati and Tirumala,
free of cost.
Local Transport:
For local transportation Taxis,
Unmetered Taxis, Rickshaws, City bus services, Transport
and buses on hire are available.
|
| From Tirupati To Tirumala |
One can travel from Tirupati
to Tirumala by road, or climb the hills on foot.
Road :
There are two well-laid, all-weather, asphalt ghat roads
between Tirupati and Tirumala. The Andhra Pradesh State
Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) runs a regular bus
service between Tirupati and Tirumala. One can also save
time by buying one's Tirumala-Tirupati return tickets
in advance at Tirupati. These tickets are valid for three
days and ticket-holders can board any of the APSRTC buses
returning to Tirupati. During Brahmotsavam and on important
occasions like New Year's Day, buses ply round the clock.
For Pilgrims:
For the convenience of pilgrims arriving in groups, APSRTC
provides contract carriages. The bus can either be booked
then and there, or reserved in advance. At Tirupati there
are 4 bus-stations located at different corners of the
town.
On Foot :
For those of you who would like to climb the hills to
Tirumala to fulfil a vow, there are two well-laid stone
footpaths leading to Tirumala. These paths are called
"Sopanamargas" (stairways).The more ancient
of the two Sopanamargas starts from Alipiri at the foot
of the hills, is about 11-km in length, and is the commonly
used route. The other Sopanamarga is from Chandragiri
, though only about 6-km in length, it's a difficult route
and is mainly used by the local people and traders. TTD
also provides several facilities for the pilgrims who
walk up the hills to Tirumala.
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