Lord Venkateswara is believed to have appeared in Tirumala to save humankind from trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. Hence the place is also known as ‘Kaliyuga Vaikuntha’ and the Lord is worshipped as ‘Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Deivam.’ This place of worship is also known as Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple, to name a few, while Lord Venkateswara is also revered as Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The deity changed into a granite stone idol for it was his wish to be on the sacred Seven Hills for the emancipation of humankind.
While the actual date of appearance of the Lord is unknown, according to Indian history, later construction, conforming to Dravidian Architecture belonged to 300 AD. The Garbagruha (Sanctum Sanctorum) is called Ananda Nilayam. The Presiding Deity (Lord Venkateswara) is in standing posture and faces east in Garbagruha. The Temple was constructed in 300 AD conforming to the Dravidian Architecture.
This place of worship is also known as Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple, to name a few, while Lord Venkateswara is also revered as Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The Garbagruha (Sanctum Sanctorum) is called Ananda Nilayam. The Presiding Deity (Lord Venkateswara) is in standing posture and faces east in Garbagruha. The Temple was constructed in 300 AD conforming to the Dravidian Architecture.
More than 400 million devotees visit the Temple every year (or about 100,000 visitors every day of the year), while on special occasions and festivals, like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims could rise to 500,000 a day.
The Lord of the Seven Hills stands closest to Chennai, the Capital of Tamil Nadu (138 kms) and Bangalore, the Capital of Karnataka (291 kms) and is farther from major cities of Andhra Pradesh, namely Hyderabad (572 kms) and Vijayawada (435 kms).
There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord in Tirumala. According to one legend, the Temple has a Murthi (Deity) of Lord Venkateswara, which is expected to remain until the end of the Kali Yuga.
Lord Venkateswara is the world’s ‘richest God’ with an estimated annual income of more than $US 400 million. The Temple has more than 2000 kgs of gold and more than $US 500 million worth of other forms of jewels and jewellery. According to a legend, Lord Vishnu in this Avatar owes money to Kubera in connection with His marriage to ‘Alarmel Manga,’ ‘Alamelu Manga’ or ‘Padmavathi’ and hence is seeking ‘donations’ from his devotees.