Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple
The precise origins of the temple are not known. However, it is generally believed that the first temple at Tirumala Tirupati was built by King Thondaiman, Tamil ruler of the ancient Thondaimandalam, after he had a dream of Lord Vishnu. He is said to have built the original Gopuram (tower) and the Prakhara in the 8th century.
Thereafter, the temple was endowed by the numerous kings of various dynasties of South India for whom the Sri Venkateswara shrine was an important religious destination. The dynasties include: the Pallvas of Kancheepuram (9th century); Cholas of Thanjavur (10th century), Pandyas of Madurai, and the various Kings and chieftains of Vijayanagar empire (14th - 15th century) who all donated money and gold and other ornaments in abundance in support of the temple. During the Vijayanagar dynasty the contribution increased substantially particularly under King Krishnadevaraya whose donation of gold and jewels enabled the entire Vimana (inner shrine) to be gilded. Subsequent rulers the Marathas, and the kings of Mysore also fostered the growth and importance of Tirupati Tirumala Temple.
Following the fall of the Hindu Kingdom, the Muslim rulers of Karnataka and thereafter the British took over the supervision of the temple. In 1843 the administration of the shrine and its estates was formally handed over to Sri Deva Dossiji of Hatiramji Mutt at Tirupati. Subsequently, in 1932 the management of the Temple was handed over to when Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), a non-profit organisation that was established to protect this important religious heritage. The TTD runs various charitable trusts with the proceeds from the pilgrims.
The temple has the South Indian, or Dravidian, style of temple architecture with a main Gopuram which has a glided golden cupola (Vimana) called as Ananada Nilayam over the main shrine.
The shrine has three enclosures called “Prakharams”. While the outermost enclosure comprises the Dhavajasthamba – a banner post, the other enclosures have many statues including that of the King Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagar and his spouses and of Todamal, the minister of King Akbar.
The main door or outer gopuram is called “Padi Kavali Maha Dwara” which stands on a rectangular base. The architecture of the alter is of the Chola period and inscriptions on the gopuram date back to the 13th century. This gopuram has a number of stucco figures of Vaishnava Gods like Hanuman, Kevala Narasimha and Lakshmi Narasimha.
“Nandimi Padi Kavali” is the inner gopuram, the inner entrance to the temple which is reached via Dhwajasthamba Mandapa. It has wooden doors covered in silver plates and is called as “Vendi Vakili”
The path for circumnavigating the temple is called “Pradakshinam”. The main temple has three Prakarmas and between the outer and middle Parakarma is the second pathway for circumambulation which is called as “Samoangi Pradakshanam”. This pathway is closed to pilgrims and contains several of the Mandapams (halls) like the Ranga Mandapa, Pratima Mandapa, Tirumal Raya Mandapa, Aina Mahal, Dhwajasthamba Mandapa.
The temple complex inside consist of several elegantly carved doorways, mandapams and shrines. The beautiful idol of Shri Venkateswara is placed in the main sanctum sanctrum of the temple. Inside the main sanctum are also three consecutive halls - Snapana mandapam also called Tiruvilan Kovil or square hall, Rama Meda or the rectangular hall and Sayana Mandapam or Ardha Mandapam which is also rectangular in shape
The temple also consist of a kitchen area called “Potu” where the food offering for the main temple is prepared.
nice ...
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