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Sunday, August 23, 2009

Tirupati Balaji Tirupati Balaji


The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatachala (Venkata Hill) of the Tirupati Hill, and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini.It is by the Lord's presidency over Venkatachala, that He has received the appellation, Venkateswara (Lord of the Venkata Hill). He is also called the Lord of the Seven Hills.




Tirupati Tirumala Balaji TempleThe temple of Sri Venkateswara has acquired unique sanctity in Indian religious lore. The Sastras, Puranas, Sthala Mahatyams and Alwar hymns unequivocally declare that, in the Kali Yuga, one can attain mukti, only by worshipping Venkata Nayaka or Sri Venkateswara.

The benefits acquired by a pilgrimage to Venkatachala are mentioned in the Rig Veda and Asthadasa Puranas. In these epics, Sri Venkateswara is described as the great bestowed of boons. There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord at Tirumala.

History
There is ample literary and epigraphic testimony to the antiquity of the temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara. All the great dynasties of rulers of the southern peninsula have paid homage to Lord Sri Venkateswara in this ancient shrine. 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.

It was during the rule of the Vijayanagar dynasty that the contributions to the temple increased. Sri Krishnadevaraya had statues of himself and his consorts installed at the portals of the temple, and these statues can be seen to this day. There is also a statue of Venkatapati Raya in the main temple.

Temple Legends
Sri Venkatachala Mahatmya is referred to in several Puranas, of which the most important are the Varaha Purana and the Bhavishyottara Purana. The printed work contains extracts from the Varaha Purana, Padma Purana, Garuda Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Markandeya Purana, Harivamsa, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana, Brahmottara Purana, Aditya Purana, Skanda Purana and Bhavishyottara Purana. Most of these extracts describe the sanctity and antiquity of the hills around Tirumala and the numerous teerthams situated on them.

The legends taken from the Venkatachala Mahatmya and the Varaha Purana, pertaining to the manifestation of the Lord at Tirumala, are of particular interest.

According to the Varaha Purana, Adi Varaha manifested Himself on the western bank of the Swami Pushkarini, while Vishnu in the form of Venkateswara came to reside on the southern bank of the Swami Pushkarini


Saturday, August 22, 2009

Govinda Hari Govinda

Govinda Hari Govinda. Govinda Hari Govinda is the Bhajan Song of Lord Vishnu or Venkateswara. This is a slight variation of the Venkateswara Govinda Namavali devotional song of Mahavishnu by repeating "Govinda Hari Govinda Venkataramana Govinda" a few more times after each stanza. The beautiful devotional song was chanted by Tirupati Thirumala Devastanam Singers (TTD Singers).

Friday, August 21, 2009

Hare Krishna Kirtan by Radhanath Swami - Tirupati 31-01-2007

HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj leads an ecstatic kirtan during abhisheka at the Inauguration Festival of the new ISKCON temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, South India


Thursday, August 20, 2009

Tirupathi Balaji Temple




This temple is one of the most important Vishnu temples in India and is also the richest. It is the most visited temple in India and is one of the most visited religious places in the world. This magnificent temple is located 20km up a hill from Tirupati. It is a very peaceful place and coming to this temple is a very awe-inspiring and devotional experience. On a spiritual tour of South India it is an absolute must. On an average over 25,000 people visit daily, and on festival days over 100,000 visit. In 1989, over eleven and a half million people made their pilgrimage here.

The historic and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak of the Tirupati Hill. The temple of Sri Venkateswara fondly known as Balaji temple has acquired unique sanctity in Indian religious lore. The benefits acquired by a pilgrimage to Tirupathi Balaji are mentioned in the Rig Veda and Asthadasa Puranas. In these epics, Sri Venkateswara is described as the great bestower of boons. There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord at Tirumala.

According to the tradition this temple has a self manifested idol of Vishnu and it is believed that Vishnu will reside on earth for the entire kaliyugam on tirumala hills. For this reason it attracts Hindus from across the world and is the most visited religious place in the world.All the great dynasties of rulers of the southern peninsula have paid homage to Lord Sri Venkateswara in this ancient shrine. The Pallavas of Kancheepuram, the Cholas of Thanjavur, the Pandyas of Madurai, and the kings and chieftains of Vijayanagar (14th - 15th century AD) were devotees of the Lord. It was during the rule of the Vijayanagar dynasty that the contributions to the temple increased.

Sri Krishnadevaraya had statues of himself and his consorts installed at the portals of the temple, and these statues can be seen to this day.Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is an independent trust which manages the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple now. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam was established in 1932 as a result of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Act of 1932. According to the act, administration of the temple was vested to a committee of seven members and overseen by a paid commissioner as appointed by the Madras Government.The temple is the world's richest in terms of the wealth of offerings and gifts given by visiting pilgrims. On average around 60,000 pilgrims per day visit the temple, and on special occasions up to 3,00,000 per day.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Lord Venkateswara - Tirupati Balaji



he idol of Lord Vishnu, just to have a glimpse of whom people from different parts of India ...different parts of the world rushes to come and stand in queue for hours after hours is Tirupati Venkateswara.

Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati is believed as the last incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is in the southern Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, 130 kms from the Chennai (Madras), on Tirumala hills from where Lord Venkateswara - popularly known as Balaji - showering his eternal blessing and kindness to the mankind. He is believed to be the one of the manifestation of Lord Vishnu.

The Tirumala Tirupati temple of Lord Venkateswara Balaji in Andhra Pradesh attracts millions of visitors every year. The deity is Extremely Lively and people keeps on standing hours after hours on the queue for offering pooja. This is one of the common belief in the mind of people that whatever you will give to Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati in the name of Puja, God will return you several multiple of that.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Lord Venkateswara - Tirupati Balaji




Tirupati/Tirumala is a pilgrimage center of great significance and is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims throughout the year.Venkateswara, or Srinivasa or Balaji as the presiding deity Vishnu is known, is enshrined in this temple, located on a range of the Eastern Ghats, called the Seven Hills.

It is an ancient temple and its glory has been sung by the saints of the yesteryears. Said to be the richest temple in India, this temple is a vibrant cultural and philanthropic institution with a grand history spanning several centuries. It attracts pilgrims from all over the country and it is not unusual for pilgrims to stand in line for hours together to obtain a glimpse of the presiding deity for a few fleeting seconds.

TTD, or Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam manages the affairs of the temple, the well being of the pilgrims, the upkeep of the environs in and around the Tirumala hills and sponsors several undertakings that are religious, charitable, social and educational in nature. References to Tiruvenkatam abound in early Tamil literature(Tolkappiam and Silappadikaram) .

Explicit reference to the Lord of Tiruvenkatam is found in the works of the early Tamil Saint Poets Poigai Alwar, Bhuthathu Alwar and Pay Alwar as well as in the poems of the later Alwars. The great religious leader Ramanuja Acharya is said to have visited here in the 11th - 12th century AD. References to Venkatachalam are also found in several of the Puranas. Tirumalai constitutes one of the 108 Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams - sacred shrines in the Sri Vaishnavite tradition.

Krishna Deva Raya of the Vijayanagar Empire is said to have visited this temple 7 times. An image of his is also found in the temple. The Venkatesa Itihasa Mala and the Varaha Purana contain several legends connected with Tirumalai.