Tirupati Darshan and glimpse of Venkateshwara
The visitation to Tirupati Balaji is considered to be an auspicious occasion for a pilgrim who believes in the Hindu faith. It is one of the principal pilgrimages for the people of Hindu faith especially for the Vaishnavi sect of Hinduism. The Venkateshwara temple of Tirupati is located in the seven hills in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is the abode of Vishnu, popularly known as Balaji in south India and Govind in the northern and western parts of India. The presiding deity called Venkateshwara or Srinivasa or Balaji is enshrined in this historic temple. There are seven peaks in Tirupati hill representing the seven heads of the adishesha serpent. As per Hindu mythology, Vishnu relaxes under the hoods of the seven headed serpent in vaikuntha. Tirupati is a famous all over the world and is one of the richest and powerful centers of Hinduism in globe. When you go for the Tirupati tour, it is advised to go through a reputed travel agent. There are some good Tirupati tour packages available and you should try to avail the best.
Tirupati is also called Tirumala and is a pilgrim center visited by millions of pilgrims in a year. This temple is existent from the ancient period and several saints of the ancient and medieval periods have revealed its glory. It is the second riches Hindu temple of the world second only after the Padmanabaswamy temple of Kerala. It is truly a philanthropic and cultural institution and has a rich history which is quite ancient. The popularity of the temple is such that the devotees are in long line for the few second glimpse of the deity. It is said that you can never visit the temple till lord Venkateshwara calls you. If you want to visit the temple, it is better to do the Tirupati darshan booking in advance so as to prevent any inconvenience during the travel.
The Tirumala hills stand second in the world in the area of Rock Mountains. The temple is being maintained since the second century BC by many kings and these include the Chola and Pallava kingdoms. In the later centuries, the Vijaynagar Empire helped in the upgradation and maintenance of the temple. Krishna dev Raya, one of the leading kings of the Vijaynagar Empire donated ornaments and gold to the temple and constructed the extended shrines. The emperor of Vijaynagar called Chandragiri as the second capital and this place is close to Tirupati. Tirupati was a well known center for Vaishhnavism in the 5th century AD. During that period, the Vaishnavi saints praised lord Venkateshwara through poems. It was called the bhakti movement in the land of dravids. During that period, they also composed many literary works on lord Venkateshwara. There are many accommodation facilities made by the temple authorities for the pilgrims and you also get the free food here. The Tirupati ladoo is famous. It has also been patented. Come to Tirupati alongwith family and friends and have blessings of Venkateshwara.
Misha Malhotra has deep interest in writing informative articles on Travel and tourism India. Also given her words to a portal Tirupati Darshan where one can find info on Tirupati Drashan Booking.