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Tirupati
[ Edit ] Overview
Tirupati meaning Lord of Lakshmi is one of the richest, most sacred and ancient temples in South India. Tirumalai meaning Mountain of highness is the hill on which the temple of Venkateshwara is situated. At a height of 3200ft above sea level the Tirumalai hills are among the world oldest rock mountains. The hill comprises of seven peaks symbolising the seven hoods of Adisesha.
[ Edit ] History
Quick Facts
[ Edit ] State
[ Edit ] Location
In Chittoor district at the foothills of Tirumala hills at an elevation of 162m.
[ Edit ] Best Time To Visit
The temple is open all year around however the most visited period is in September when the annual festival called 'Brahmotsavam' is celebrated.
[ Edit ] Tourist Offices
Regional Tourist Information Bureau, Near T.T.D III Choultry, Tirupati
[ Edit ] STD Code
0877
Sightseeing
[ Edit ] Agastyaswamy Temple
12 km from Tirupati the temple of Agastyaswamy is located at the confluence of the rivers, Swarnamukhi, Bhima and Kalyan.
[ Edit ] Chandragiri
11km south west of Tirupati is the town of Chandragiri. In the 16th century the town used to be the capital of the rulers of Vijaynagar. The main attraction of the town is the Chadragiri fort built on a 180m high rock.
[ Edit ] Sri Govindarajaswamy Temple
Founded in 1130 AD by Saint Ramanujacharya this is among the most visited temples in Tirupati. The temple is dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna.
[ Edit ] Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple
3km north of Tirupati at the foothills of the Tirumala Hills this is the only temple in Tirupati that is dedicated solely to Lord Shiva. There is a sacred waterfall here called Kapila Teertham.
[ Edit ] Sri Kodandaramaswami Temple
Situated in the heart of the city, this temple was built in the 10th century by the Chola dynasty. Legend has it that the temple commemorates the visit of Lord Rama to Tirupati.
[ Edit ] Sri Vedanarayanswamy Temple
Situated in the town of Nagalapuram, 65km from Tirupati this temple is an example of the Vijaynagar style of architecture. The temple was constructed in such a manner that every year in the month on March the rays of the sun fall on the idol in the sanctum for 3 days.
[ Edit ] Sri Venkateshwara Temple
Located on the seventh peak of the Tirupati hills, the ancient Sri Venkateshwara Temple has its origins in Vaishnavism which believes in equality, love and prohibits animal sacrifice. This 12th century temple is 18km north-west of Tirupati Balaji. Sri Venkateshwara an avatar of Lord Vishnu is considered to be the bestower of boons or blessings. It can take about 12 hours of waiting in line before you can get a glimpse of the idol at the temple. This is however among the only big Hindu temple in India that allows non Hindus to enter the inner temple and see the shrine. The outer gopuram of the temple stands on a quadrangular base with several figures of Hanuman and Lakshmi Narasimha. Here are a number of 13th century inscriptions on the gopuram.
The daily routine at the temple starts at three in the morning with 'Suprabhatam' meaning awakening the Lord and ends at one in the night with 'Ekanta Seva' meaning putting the Lord to sleep.
The annual temple festival called Brahmotsavam is held in September. Every third year this festival is held on a much grander scale and is called Navratri Brahmotsavam. On the third day of the festival the temple chariot is decorated and taken around the streets of Tirumala with the Lord sitting in it. more
[ Edit ] Tirunachur
5km from Tirupati Balaji is Tirunachur also known as Alamelumangapuram. Here there is a temple of Sri Padmavati Devi, a consort of Sri Venkateshwara. It is believed that a pilgrimage to Tirupati is only complete after visiting this temple.
Planning a Trip
Getting There
[ Edit ] Air
About 14 km from the town of Tirupati is the Tirupati airport located in Renigunta.
[ Edit ] Rail
Tirupati has its own rail head at Guntakal division of South Central Railways.
[ Edit ] Road
Tirupati is well connected by road to major cities in South India.
Distance to Tirupati from:
[ Edit ] Getting Around
[ Edit ] Other Information
Make a trip to the Horsley Hills, a hill station at an altitude of 1265m along the southwest border of Andhra Pradesh. Visit the Kailasakona waterfalls in the Nagary Valley. The water here is rich in minerals and is believed to have curative powers.
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[ Edit ] Food
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