Said to be the world's richest temple, the Tirumati
Tirumala Balaji Temple is situated on the Tirumala hill on the outskirts
of Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Famous all over
the world as a significant pilgrimage place, this ancient temple of Sri
Venkateswara, the Lord of Seven Hills, is so called as Tirumala hill is
a cluster of seven hills known as Seshachalam or Venkatachalam at an
altitude of 2,800 ft above the sea level. The grand history of the
temple spans over several centuries and it is the backbone of the
pilgrimage and tourism industry of Andhra Pradesh. A fine example of
Dravidian temple architecture, the Tirumala Temple received generous
offerings from the great dynasties like the Pallavas of Kanchipuram, the
Cholas of Tanjore, the Pandyas of Madurai and the Kings and chiefs of
Vijayanagara.The gopuram of the temple is splendid. Elaborate rituals and modes of worship as stated by the saint Ramanujacharya and followed in the temple even today. However, the most popular and well-known customs of the temple are anointing the idol with camphor and the offering of the hair by the pilgrims who visit the place. For the latter, one should go to the licensed barbers only. The gold-plated 'Vimana' (Cupola) over the sanctum sanctorum is known as 'the Ananda Nilayam'. Along with the idols of the deities, this temple also houses statues of Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya and his consorts, and Todarmal, the minister of Akbar. The principal deity, Lord Venkateswara is also known as Venkataramana, Srinivasa and Balaji and is said to have attributes of Vishnu and Shiva, the preserver and the destroyer of the world.
