Tirupati temple is considered as one of the most richest and famous temples all over the world. It lies on the top of the seventh peak of the Venkata hill in Tirumala on the banks of Swami Pushkarini. This hill is at a height of about 2800 feet's above sea level. This is the largest temple in the world. Tirupati temple is devoted to lord Venkateshwara who is one of the ten incarnations of lord Vishnu. This temple is the most visited in the entire world. Tirupati Balaji temple is the oldest and blessed temple among all the other temples in India.
This temple is crowded with visitors throughout the year. There people offer money and jewelry as a token, on the feet of lord Venkateshwara. People can wait for hours to just get one single glance of the deity. There are at least about 6o, 000 pilgrims visiting this temple daily and if there is some special day then the number goes up to 2, 00,000 without a second thought. There is no Hindu who does not visit this temple in his life time. It is said that they have to visit this place once in their life time as all their sins are forgiven here itself.
Architecture
This temple is built in the ancient Dravidian style. The gopuram of this temple is highlighted with special items. There are number of small shrines in the main premises in different directions. One the main attractions of this temple are the dome or Vimana that is coated with gold all over. This unique Vimana is also known as Ananda Nilayam. Another major attraction this in this temple is the 3 enclosures known as the Prakarams along with the statues of Krishnadevarayan king of Vijayanagara and his wife. Besides all this there is an idol of one of minister of Akbar's ministry Todarmal.
The idols kept in the temple represent both Lord Vishnu and Shiva they both have their own identities. Lord Vishnu is identified as a "preserver" and Lord Shiva as a "destroyer" in Hindu religion.
If you have a one night stay in Tirupati temple you will have the pleasure to attend the 'Suprabhatam' which is at 3 in the morning that is the beginning of the day and the day will end with 'Ekanta' seva.
Festival in Tirupati-Balaji
There is a very famous festival which is celebrated with full enthusiasm that is the 'Brahmotsavam' this lasts for about 9 days in the month of September. Pilgrims comes especially for this festival from every corner of India. The two main days of this festival are the fifth and the ninth day as they indicate Garudotsavam and Rathotsavam that takes place on these two days.
Getting there
- Airways:
Nearest airport is the Renigunta airport which is at a distance of about 15 kilometers away from Tirupati-Balaji.
- Railways:
Tirupati is a major railway station which is well-connected with all the other cities close by.
- Roads ways:
There are many state transport buses and luxury buses from Tirupati to all the major cities of India.
Ideal time to visit:
Best time to visit Tirupati Balaji is from October to September as this is the time of the main festival time in Tirumala.
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