India has an abundance of religious places, which makes it a perfect spot to explore for pilgrims. One religious site is the Tirupati Balaji Temple, which is immensely popular among Hindu devotees. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, this is one of the holiest temples of the country. Another interesting thing about this temple is that it is the richest temple in the country. People believe that devotees who visit the temple get complete freedom from their troubles. This place is popular for its rituals, delicious prasadam, and rich donations. The temple is an architectural marvel. A large number of people book the Tirupati Balaji Temple Tour to seek the blessings of Lord Vishnu. If you too want to visit this sacred site, here is an informative guide that will be extremely helpful for you:
The temple was believed to be constructed around 300 CE. Since its construction, the Tirupati Balaji Temple has been an important pilgrimage center for devotees. People believe that Lord Vishnu appeared at this place in the form of Lord Venkateshwara. In the past, many rulers such as Vijayanagara Kings, Cholas, and Pallavas contributed to the development of the temple. It is highly popular for its traditions, rituals, offerings, and festivities. This makes it a must-visit place during your pilgrimage tour.
There is a legend associated with this temple. The reference to this legend is found in many ancient Puranas, such as Markandeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Skanda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana, etc. According to the Varah Purana, Adi Varaha appeared on the western bank of Swami Pushkarini, while Vishnu appeared on the southern bank of Swami Pushkarini.
This is undoubtedly one of the most famous Tirupati Balaji Temples that is visited by people from all corners of the country. Apart from the holy vibe of the temple, a few other features of this temple make it a popular spot to visit for the devotees. Some of the unique features of this place are as follows:
There are 5 deities in the garbhagriha of the temple. You will find a Lord Venkateshwara statue standing at its centre. It is believed that the hair of this idol is real, and it grows naturally just like real humans. The five deities present in the temple represent Lord Venkateshwara and are called Pancha Berams. All these deities are beautifully decorated with precious jewels such as diamonds, gold, and silver. Each one of them has a particular role in the temple pooja, which is mentioned below:
This is the main deity of Lord Venkateshwara. It is known as Moolvirat, and it stands at the centre of the temple’s main sanctum. The four arms of the deity are the source of positivity and spiritual energy of the whole temple.
This deity shows the angry part of Lord Venkateshwara. He remains inside the sanctum and comes out only one day every year on the occasion of Kaishika Dwadasi. This deity gets Abhisheka daily.
Also known as Sri Malayappa Swamy, Utsava Beram is a deity that is taken out on special occasions such as rituals and festivals. Devotees can worship it in a procession during the rituals and festivals.
This is a silver 3-foot deity that gets daily sevas on behalf of the main idol named Moolavirat. Placed near the left foot of the main deity, it is its small replica. The deity represents Lord Venkateshwara and is called Manavalapperumal.
This is called a ‘guardian deity’ and a financial supervisor to the temple. The daily income and expenditures of the temple are offered in front of this deity. It is believed that it grants permission to all the operations of the temple.
Many rituals are performed at Tirupati Balaji Temple, which are unique in their own way. Some of them include Thomala Seva, Poolangi Seva, Arijita Brahmotsavam, Koluvu, Pavithrotsavam, Archana, Suprabhatam, Kalyanotsavam, etc.
This temple is built following the Vijayanagara and Dravidian style architecture. The temple features beautiful walls, dwarams, towering gopurams, pyramidal roofs, etc. They are full of detailed carvings which look quite impressive. The whole premises are constructed with the help of sandstones, soapstones, and granites. The main sanctorum is known as Ananada Nilaayam and has a gold-plated tower. The temple has a beautiful pond named Swami Pushkarni.
Many festivals are celebrated at Tirupati Balaji Temple. This makes it one of the most crowded temples in the country. Approx. 400 festivals are celebrated here. Devotees come here in large numbers and perform important rituals on these festivals. Some of the important festivals that are celebrated here include the following:
On this festival, devotees offer special prayers in front of the deity. They observe fasting on this day and get the blessings of Lord Vishnu. By praying to the Lord, the devotees will also get the blessings of the Goddess Lakshmi automatically. Blessings from the Goddess bring prosperity into one’s life.
This is a 9-day festival which is celebrated with full enthusiasm at the Tirupati Balaji Temple. The name of the festival is derived from Lord Brahma, who inaugurated it at this temple. Thus, this festival is called Brahmotsavam and is one of the holiest of all the festivals held at Tirupati Balaji Temple.
Devotees take the deity of the temple on a grand chariot on this festival. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the Brahmotsavam. Devotees pull the chariot through the streets. Priests perform many rituals on this day. The devotees chant hymns and offer prayers before the deity. This festival lets people connect with the divine power present here. It is believed that the devotees get freedom from the cycle of birth after seeking the blessings of the deity.
There is a legend associated with Tirupati Balaji Temple. According to it, Sage Bhrigu wanted to know which God was the greatest among Brahma, Vishnu, and Shivu. He offended Shiva and Brahma to test them and ended up cursing both of them due to their limited worshippers. After that, he tested Lord Vishnu and kicked him in his chest. He remained calm and welcomed Bhrigu on his arrival. However, Goddess Lakshmi felt insulted and came to earth after leaving Vaikuntha. Lord Vishnu followed Goddess Lakshmi and took the form of a man named Srinivasa. One day, Princess Padmavati fell in love with Srinivasa. The man informed his mother about Princess Padmavati and wanted to marry her.
The marriage between the two took place in a grand manner. On hearing the second marriage of Srinivasa or Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi came to meet him and his new wife. It is at this time that Srinivasa or Lord Vishnu turned into a statue. He took the form of Lord Venkateswara before his two wives. After his conversion as Lord Venkateswara, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma also appeared on the earth. After that, both spouses turned into stone statues to reside on earth with their Lord.
Tirupati Balaji Temple is located on one of the 7 Tirumala Hills, which is the reason why it is called Sapthagirisha. The hill region is called Saptagiri, which represents the 7 heads of Adisesha. He was the King Serpent where Lord Vishnu rests. The seven hills are dedicated to Sesha, Vrishbhasura, Garuda, Neela Devi, Hanuman, etc.
Another feature of Tirupati Balaji Temple is the ritual of hair donation to the God through tonsuring. You will find many male and female barbers here who can do this task easily for you. The hair that you donate here is sold in the international market, which increases the income of the temple. There is a legend associated with the hair donation task. According to it, Neela Devi donated her hair to lord Venkateshwara as he lost some hair on his scalp. People believe that the offered hairs are accepted by Neela Devi, which brings more blessings to the devotees.
Another feature of Tirupati Balaji Temple that makes it a standout is the huge donations it gets. The donations received by the temple make it the richest temple in the country. People believe that the amount of donations this temple receives serves as the repayment of the loan that was taken by Lord Venkateshwara from Kubera for his marriage to princess Padmavati. However, apart from the monetary donations, donations are also made in the form of silver, sugar, tulsi leaves, jiggery, coins, and dry fruits.
Tirupati Balaji Temple is popular for its prasadam, which is a Tirupati Laddu that the devotees get after offering their prayers to the Lord. This laddu is prepared in large quantities daily. Only Tirumala Tirupati Devasanthanams can sell or make them. Apart from the Tirupati Ladoo, other prasadams that are offered to the Lord are categorized as Panyarams and Anna-Prasadams.
You must choose the winter season to visit Tirupati Balaji Temple. November to February are the best months to visit this place. If you visit the temple during this time, you can take part in the activities going on during the Navratri and Dussehra festivals. However, you must not visit the temple on weekdays to avoid queues.
It is highly convenient to reach Balaji Temple, whether you are coming from a small or a metro city. The roads that connect to the temple are in good condition, which makes it easy for anybody to reach here. There are 3 ways through which you can reach Tirupati Balaji Temple:
If you are travelling from a distant place, you can get here by air. The nearest airport to the temple is Tirupati Airport, which is situated 40 kilometers from here.
The city has a Tirupati Railway Station, which is connected with other important cities of the country.
You can also travel to this temple by road without any difficulty. There is a good frequency of cabs and buses between Tirupati to other cities in the country.
The pilgrims can also do temple booking online or through the counters available here. You can choose a variety of darshan types available in the temple. They are as follows:
This type of darshan is available for the pilgrims free of cost. They need to wait longer for the darshan if they opt for Sarva Darshan.
If you opt for this darshan, you need to buy a ticket of Rs. 300 per person. In this type of darshan, the pilgrims do not need to wait longer to catch a glimpse of the Lord.
This type of darshan is exclusively for the VIP and VVIP devotees and for those who opt for the Srivani Trust Donor Scheme. The pilgrims need to spend Rs. 500 to buy a ticket for this type of darshan.
These types of Darshan are included in your pilgrimage tour package.
People who are on the pilgrimage tour to Tirupati Balaji Temple must adhere to the following rules and guidelines:
A visit to Tirupati Balaji Temple will be spiritually rewarding for the pilgrims. Once you are here, you can feel the connection with the divine. However, you should plan your Tirupati tour to make it smooth and convenient. The best would be to book the best tour operators in India. They will offer you the best pilgrimage tour packages that align with your travel requirements.