When it comes to most visited Shrine and one amongst world’s richest temples, then name first strikes to mind is Venkateswara temple, well known as Tirupati Balaji temple. It is located in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and the main deity worshipped here is Lord Vishnu.
Entry Timings
In the whole week, this temple stays open at these timings:
Monday to Thursday: 2:30AM – 1:30AM
Friday: 2:30AM – 10:30PM
Saturday and Sunday: 2:30 AM – 1:30AM
Entrance Fees
For VIP Darshan- Rs. 100 per person
For Special Entrance- Rs. 20 per person
Why it’s so prevalent?
The reason behind its prevalence is celestial environ one could experience after visiting here. In the Holy Scriptures, it’s mentioned that if one worships Sri Venkateswara then ultimately he/she gets the way to moksha. Moreover, Tirupati Temple got a mention in Asthadasa Puranas and Rig Veda strongly recommending people to visit this place. Lord Sri Venkateswara has been recognized as protectors of human beings from ill-effects of Kalyuga and appeared at this place, Tirupati Temple.
Deities of Temple
The deities being worshipped here are:
- Moolavitat or Dhruva Beram
- Snapana Beram or Ugra Srinivasa
- Kautuka Beram or Bhoga Srinivasa
- Bali Beram or Koluyu Srinivasa
- Utsava Beram or Malayappa Swami
Temple’s Attractions
Holding the supreme spiritual status, this place attracts innumerable tourists here. Just as the majestic outer look, its inner side is not just attractive with its beauty but also with culture, architecture and many more. Here’re the main attractions:
The main allurement is Lord Sri Venkateswara’s idol. It will automatically captivate you with one sight. You will witness amazing Dravidian styled architecture on Gopuram towering gateway. In the shrine, there are three enclosures. On the outmost enclosure, there is an attractive banner post exists titled as Dhvajastambha, while on other enclosures, various sculptures consisting of King Krishnadevraya and Todarmal statues are there. There are two paths, out of which one contains flagstaffs, pillared halls and area distributing offertories, while second has the main kitchen, sub-shrines, hundi, and various other important structures. You will get food counters too that appease your hunger time to time.
‘Ananda Nilayam’ is a central shrine. The main deity relies on this gold-plated structure. The northern face of the temple consists of Swami Pushkarni, a holy pond, covering 1.5 acres of area. There is a myth associated with it is that Garuda carried this pond to the hills from Lord Vishnu’s abode, Vaikuntham.
Celebrations
Every day is a celebration in the Tirupati temple. Here 433 festivals are celebrated each year. And, out of all these, ‘Brahmotsavam’ is quite popular. This particular event is celebrated in September for nine continuous days. Its name has a famous legend, according to which every year, Lord Brahma comes to perform this pious fest and literally name ‘Brahmotsavam’ suggests that festival being performed by Brahma. Another famous fest is ‘Vaikunta Ekadashi’, which represents that on this particular day, Lord Vishnu’s Adobe (heaven) will always remain open.
Best Time to Visit
Although visiting anytime would add a wondrous and everlasting experience, but still, avoid summer visits. Winters are the best & pleasant time to visit here.
From the whole universe, devotees and tourists visit this temple every year and feel pleasurable after spending their time here. It is the richest temple and successfully creates a considerable amount of employment opportunities too.
