Venkateswara, also known by various other names,
is a form of the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
god
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. Venkateswara is the presiding deity of the
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Sri Venkateswara Swami Vaari Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared ...
, located in
Tirupati
Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is refe ...
, Sri Balaji District,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
Etymology
Venkateswara literally means, "Lord of
Venkata". The word is a combination of the words ''Venkata'' (the name of a hill in Andhra Pradesh) and ''isvara'' ("Lord"). According to the ''
Brahmanda
The ''Brahmanda Purana'' ( sa, ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण, ) is a Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas, a genre of Hindu texts. It is listed as the eighteenth Maha-Purana in almost all the anthologies. The text ...
'' and ''
Bhavishyottara''
Puranas
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
, the word "Venkata" means "destroyer of sins", deriving from the Sanskrit words ''vem'' (sins) and ''kata'' (power of immunity).
It is also said that 'Venkata' is a combination of two words: '
''ven''
' (keeps away) and kata''
' (troubles). Venkata means he 'who keeps away troubles' or 'who takes away problems' or such terms in a similar context.
Legend
![ISKCON Lord Balaji](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/ISKCON_Lord_Balaji.jpg)
Every year, hundreds of thousands of devotees donate a large amount of wealth at the
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Sri Venkateswara Swami Vaari Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared ...
at
Tirupati
Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is refe ...
,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. A legend provides the reason for the same.
Once, the sages wanted to decide the deity to whom a ritual was to be dedicated. The sages appointed the sage
Bhrigu
Bhrigu ( sa, भृगु, ) was a rishi in Hinduism. He was one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshis, one of the many Prajapatis (the facilitators of Creation) created by Brahma. The first compiler of predictive astrology, and also th ...
to select the god. Bhrigu decided to test the gods. He first went to the King of
Svarga
Svarga (), also known as Indraloka and Svargaloka, is the celestial abode of the devas in Hinduism. Svarga is one of the seven higher lokas ( esoteric planes) in Hindu cosmology. Svarga is often translated as heaven, though it is regarded to b ...
,
Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...
, who ignored the sage, and was busy in enjoying the dance of ''
apsaras
An apsaras or apsara ( sa, अप्सरा ' lso ' pi, अक्चरा, translit=accharā) is a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hinduism and Buddhist culture. They figure prominently in the sculpture, dance, litera ...
'' in heaven. Bhrigu cursed Indra that he would only be referred to as an egoistic soul, all over the universe. He next visited
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
. Brahma was busy with his four heads in chanting the
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
, performing meditation, creating the world, and spending his time with his wife,
Saraswati
Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati.
The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a go ...
. Next, he visited
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
. Shiva was busy in his ''Rudradhyanam'' with his wife,
Parvati
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...
, at his feet. Bhrigu cursed Shiva that he would be worshipped only in the formless
Lingam
A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional im ...
. At last, Bhrigu went to
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. Vishnu was sleeping on
Adishesha
Shesha (Sanskrit: शेष; ) , also known as Sheshanaga (Sanskrit: शेषनाग; ) or Adishesha (), is a serpentine demigod (Naga) and Nagaraja (King of all serpents), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism. In the Pura ...
, and
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
was at his feet. When Bhrigu arrived, he first saw Vishnu's feet, and felt humiliated. Enraged, he kicked Vishnu on his chest. Awakened, Vishnu started massaging Bhrigu's feet, and served him with great hospitality. Bhrigu was pleased, and ordered the sages to perform the rites to Vishnu. Lakshmi quarelled with Vishnu, as she felt that Bhrigu insulted her indirectly by hitting Vishnu on his chest where she lived, and thus left
Vaikuntha
Vaikuntha ( sa, वैकुण्ठ, lit=without anxiety, translit=Vaikuṇṭha), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, An ...
.
She settled on earth in disguise as a young-sage like boy in the ancient city of Karvir, and meditated the name of Vishnu (Regarded by adherents to be the site of the Mahalakshmi temple). Vishnu soon arrived on earth, searching for his consort. He failed to find her, and instead settled on the
Seshachalam hills. This happened to be the spot in Tirupati where
Varaha
Varaha ( sa, वराह, , "boar") is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, in the form of a boar. Varaha is generally listed as third in the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu.
Varaha is most commonly associated with the lege ...
had rested and taught Karma Yoga to the people till the beginning of
Kali Yuga
''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...
, after having rescuing
Bhudevi
Bhumi ( sa, भूमि, Bhūmi), also known as Bhudevi and Vasundhara, is a Hindu goddess who is the personification of the Earth. She is a consort of the god Vishnu. According to Vaishnava tradition, she is the second aspect of Vishnu's consor ...
from the wicked
Hiranyaksha
__NOTOC__
Hiranyaksha ( sa, हिरण्याक्ष, "golden-eyed"), also known as Hiranyanetra ( sa, हिरण्यनेत्र) was an oppressive Asura who attacked the heavens and thereafter kidnapped and attempted to destroy th ...
. Vishnu sat inside an anthill in his disguise, which was situated under a tamarind tree, and started chanting the name of his wife, Mahalakshmi.
The whole earth became gloomy. On the request of Parvati and Saraswati, Shiva and Brahma incarnated as a cow and a calf respectively, in the
Chola
The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
kingdom. This cow and calf were being grazed daily by a shepherd of Chola kingdom in the Seshachalam hills. Everyday, the cow used to pour her milk into the anthill to lessen the thirst of Vishnu. Due to this, the cow and calf became pale and unhealthy. The shepherd noticed this, and felt that something was awry. The next day, the shepherd took the animals for grazing, and as was the custom, the cow poured milk into the anthill. The shepherd saw this act, and he threw an axe (parasu) on the cow and calf. Vishnu noticed, and in order to protect them, Vishnu arose from the anthill and the axe hit his own forehead (the blood poured as his
namam on his head). An enraged Vishnu cursed the shepherd that he would die immediately, and the latter succumbed to the blow of his own axe. This news reached the Chola king. The ruler suspected the absence of the shepherd. He went near the grazing field, and was surprised to see the corpse of the shepherd. He went to the grazing field, where the cows were offering their milk to Vishnu. However, Vishnu was in disguise, and so the king could not identify him. The king strung his arrow, believing that the milk should serve the kingdom rather than the boy he saw. Vishnu, once again, emerged, and grew enormous, stopped the arrows from passing further and he cursed the king for not maintaining the
dharma
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...
of his kingdom. The king repented and surrendered at the deity's feet. Unlike the shepherd, the king had realised his mistake, which pleased Vishnu, and hence presented him with the boon that he would marry the king's daughter in his next birth.
In his next birth, Vishnu incarnated as Srinivasa, to a woman named Vakuladevi. It is said that in the ''
Dvapara Yuga
''Dvapara Yuga'' ( Dwapara Yuga), in Hinduism, is the third and third best of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Treta Yuga'' and followed by ''Kali Yuga''. ''Dvapara Yuga'' lasts for 864,000 years (2,400 divine y ...
'',
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
presented
Yashoda
Yashoda ( sa, यशोदा, translit=Yaśodā) is the foster-mother of Krishna and the wife of Nanda Baba, Nanda. She is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the wife of Nanda Baba, Nanda, the chieftain of Gokul, Gokulam, and the siste ...
with a boon that he would be born to the former in the ''
Kali Yuga
''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...
''. Vakuladevi is regarded as the reincarnation of Yashoda. Meanwhile, the goddess Lakshmi was born at the palace of Akasha Raja, the next birth of the Chola king. Srinivasa was a forest-dweller. One day, he met a beautiful girl named
Padmavati
Padmāvatī may refer to:
Deities
* Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of fortune
* Alamelu, or Padmāvatī, a Hindu goddess and consort of Sri Venkateshwara of Tirupati
* Manasa, a Hindu serpent goddess
* Padmavati (Jainism), a Jain attendant goddess ( ...
, the princess of the Chola dynasty. Padmavati fell in love with Srinivasa , and decided to get married to him. According to the boon of Vishnu to the Chola king in their previous births, Srinivasa has to get married to Padmavati, princess of Chola dynasty. For the marriage expenses, Srinivasa borrowed riches from
Kubera
Kubera ( sa, कुबेर, translit=Kuberā) also known as Kuvera, Kuber and Kuberan, is the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yakshas in Hinduism. He is regarded as Guardians of the directions, the regent of the north (' ...
, and promised to repay the loan with interest at the end of the ''Kali Yuga''.
Literature
Skanda Purana
The
Skanda Purana
The ''Skanda Purana'' (IAST: Skanda Purāṇa) is the largest ''Puranas#Mahapuranas, Mukyapurana'', a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is of Kaumaram, Kaumara literature, titled after Kartikeya ...
extols the significance of worshipping this deity:
Deity
Venkateswara, an
avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
of
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
, is the presiding deity of the
Tirupati
Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is refe ...
temple. It is believed that the deity is ''Swayambhu'' (self manifested). The deity possesses the power of the
Trimurti
The Trimūrti (; Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति ', "three forms" or "trinity") are the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of de ...
: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and some sects believe that Venkateswara holds the power of Shakthi and Skanda as well. Sage Annamacharya praised Venkateswara as the 'Supreme Lord' who appears as
Dattatreya
Dattatreya ( sa, दत्तात्रेय, ), Dattā or Dattaguru, is a paradigmatic Sannyasi (monk) and one of the lords of yoga, venerated as a Hindu god. In Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Madhya ...
for yogis, Shiva for
Shaivas, and appears as whichever form the devotee desires.
In the 12th century,
Ramanujacharya
Ramanuja (Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmanuja; 1017 CE – 1137 CE; ; ), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and a social reformer. He is noted to be one of the most important exponents o ...
visited Tirupati for settling a dispute that arose between the
Saivites
Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...
and
Vaishnavites
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
, regarding the nature of the deity set up in the Tirumala temple. Ramanuja streamlined the rituals at Tirumala temple according to
Vaikanasa Agama tradition, and introduced the recitation of the
Naalayira Divya Prabandham
The Naalayira Divya Prabandham ( ta, நாலாயிரத் திவ்வியப் பிரபந்தம், lit=Four Thousand Divine Hymns, translit=Nālāyira Divya Prabandham) is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed by ...
. He also set up the Tirupati Jeeyar
Matha
A ''matha'' (; sa, मठ, ), also written as ''math'', ''muth'', ''mutth'', ''mutt'', or ''mut'', is a Sanskrit word that means 'institute or college', and it also refers to a monastery in Hinduism. in 1119 AD, in consultation with Tirumalai Ananthalwan to institutionalise service to the deity and supervise the temple rituals. The Jeeyars, to this day, ensures that the rituals ordained by Ramanuja are observed.
The deity is believed to be as old as the "Shila thoranam" in Tirumala. Tirumala has tremendous fame from the ancient period. The deity is referred to as 'Balaji' by north Indians. The scriptures state that Venkateswara is the saviour of all suffering people in the
Kali Yuga
''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...
. Emperors like
Krishnadevaraya
Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Empire, reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the g ...
and many devotees have paid homage to Venkateswara.
Five Deities
According to the Vaikhanasa Agamas, Venkateswara is represented by five
deities
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
(berams) including the
Moolavirat, which are together referred to as the Pancha beramulu in
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
(pancha means five; beram means deity).
The five deities are Dhruva Beram (Moolavar), Kautuka Beram, Snapana Beram, Utsava Beram, and Bali Beram. All the pancha berams are placed in the Garbha griha under
Ananda Nilayam Vimanam.
#Moolavirat (Chief deity) or
Dhruva Beram- In the centre of the
Garbha griha
A ''garbhagriha'' or ''sannidhanam'' is the ''sanctum sanctorum'', the innermost sanctuary of a Hindu and Jain temples where resides the ''murti'' (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple. In Jainism, the main deity is known as the ''M ...
, under the Ananda Nilayam Vimana, the Moolavirat of Venkateswara is seen in a standing posture on lotus base, with four arms, two holding shanka and chakra, one in the Varada posture, and the other in the Kati posture. This deity is considered the main source of energy for the temple, and is adorned with the Vaishnavite nama and jewels, including vajra kiritam (diamond crown), Makarakundalas, Nagabharana, Makara Kanti,
Saligrama
A shaligrama shila ( deva, शालिग्राम शिला, Śāligrāma-śilā), also rendered as shaligram, is a particular variety of stone collected from riverbed or banks of the Kali Gandaki, a tributary of the Gandaki River in N ...
haram, Lakshmi haram.
Venkateswara's consort,
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
, stays on the chest of the Moolavirat as Vyuha Lakshmi.
#
Bhoga Srinivasa or Kautuka Beram -- This is a small one-foot (0.3 m) silver deity that was given to the temple in 614 AD by the
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as fe ...
queen, Samavai, for conducting festivals. Bhoga Srinivasa is always placed near the left foot of Moolavirat, and is believed to always be connected to the main deity by the holy ''Sambandha Kroocha''. This deity receives many daily sevas (pleasures) on behalf of Moolavar, and is hence known as Bhoga Srinivasa (Bhoga: pleasure). This deity receives Ekanthaseva daily
(the last ritual of the day), and Sahasra Kalasabhisheka (a special
abhishekam
Abhisheka () means "bathing of the divinity to whom worship is offered." It is a religious rite or method of prayer in which a devotee pours a liquid offering on an image or murti of a God or Goddess. Abhisheka is common to Indian religions su ...
(ablution) with
sacred waters
Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric. T ...
in 1008
kalasha
A kalasha, also spelled kalash or kalasa, also called ghat or ghot ( sa, कलश , Telugu: కలశము Kannada: ಕಳಶ literally "pitcher, pot"), is a metal (brass, copper, silver or gold) pot with a large base and small mouth, large eno ...
s (pots)) on Wednesdays.
#
Ugra Srinivasa
Ugra Srinivasa is one of the idols in the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. ''Ugra'' means anger and the idol which was originally called ''Venkatatturaivar'' is supposed to represent the anger aspect of Lord Venkateswara. ...
or Snapana Beram - This deity represents the fearsome (Ugra: terrible) aspect of Venkateswara.
This deity was the main processional deity until 1330 CE, when it was replaced by the Malayappa Swami deity.
Ugra Srinivasa remains inside the sanctum sanctorum, and is carried out on a procession only one day in a year, on ''Kaishika Dwadasi,'' before the sunrise.
This deity receives daily ''
abhishekam
Abhisheka () means "bathing of the divinity to whom worship is offered." It is a religious rite or method of prayer in which a devotee pours a liquid offering on an image or murti of a God or Goddess. Abhisheka is common to Indian religions su ...
'' on behalf of Moolavirat, offering it the name Snapana Beram (Snapana: cleansing)
#
Malayappa Swami
Malayappa Swami is the current ''utsava murti'' (procession deity) in the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala. Malayappa Swami is worshipped during religious ceremonies and processions wherein it would be inappropriate to use the main deity (f ...
or Utsava Beram - Malayappa is the processional deity (Utsava beram) of the temple, and is always flanked by the idols of his consorts,
Sridevi
Shree Amma Yanger Ayyappan (13 August 1963 – 24 February 2018), professionally credited with her stage name Sridevi, was an Indian actress who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada language films. Cited as the "First Female ...
and
Bhudevi
Bhumi ( sa, भूमि, Bhūmi), also known as Bhudevi and Vasundhara, is a Hindu goddess who is the personification of the Earth. She is a consort of the god Vishnu. According to Vaishnava tradition, she is the second aspect of Vishnu's consor ...
. This deity receives veneration on all festivals, like
Brahmotsavams, Kalyanotsavam, Dolotsavam, Vasanthotsavam, Sahasra deepalankarana seva, Padmavati parinyotsavams, pushpapallaki, Anivara asthanam, Ugadi asthanam, etc.
#
Koluvu Srinivasa
Koluvu Srinivasa is an idol of Lord Venkateswara in the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Andhra Pradesh. This silver idol that resembles the main deity represents the presiding officer for all activities and rituals in the temple. Koluvu Srinivasa ...
or Bali Beram - Koluvu Srinivasa represents the Bali Beram. Koluvu Srinivasa is regarded as the guardian deity of the temple, that presides over its financial and economic affairs. Daily Koluvu seva (Koluvu: engaged in) is held in the morning, during which the previous day's offerings, income, expenditures. are notified to this deity, with a presentation of accounts. Panchanga sravanam is also held at the same time, during which that particular day's
tithi
In Vedic timekeeping, a ''tithi'' is a uration of two faces of moon that is observed from earth known as ''milа̄lyа̄'' (𑐩𑐶𑐮𑐵𑐮𑑂𑐫𑐵𑑅, मिलाल्याः) in Nepal Bhasa, or the time it takes for the longit ...
, sunrise and sunset time, and nakshatra. are notified to Venkateswara.
Hymns
The
Venkateswara Suprabhatam is the first and pre-dawn prayer performed to Venkateswara at Sayana Mandapam, inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Tirumala Temple. 'Suprabhatam' is a Sanskrit term, which literally means ‘morning salutations’, and is meant to wake up the deity from his celestial sleep.
The Venkateswara Suprabhatam hymns were composed by
Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Annangaracharya
Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Aṇṇan was a Sri Vaishnava acharya, Tamil and Sanskrit scholar, and the composer of the popular Venkateswara Suprabhatam.
Born Hasthigirinathar Aṇṇan in the year 1361, he was one of the prominent disciples o ...
during the 13th century, and consists of 70 slokas in four parts, including Suprabhatam (29), Stotram (11), Prapatti (14), and Mangalasasanam (16).
Tallapaka Annamacharya
Tallapaka Annamacharya (Telugu : తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య) (IAST: taḷḷapāka annamācārya; 22 May 1408 – 4 April 1503), also popularly known as Annamayya, was a 15th-century Hindu saint and the ear ...
(Annamayya), the poet saint of 14th century, one of the greatest Telugu poets and a great devotee of Venkateswara, had sung 32000 songs in praise of Venkateswara. All his songs, which are in Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
, are referred to as Sankirtanas and are classified as Sringara Sankirtanalu and Adhyatma Sankirtanalu.
Other Venkateswara temples
;India:
* Venkateswara Temple, Dwaraka Tirumala, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh
* Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Kurukshetra, Haryana
* Paduthirupathi Venkataramana Temple, Karkala, Karnataka
* Sri Venkataramana Temple, Carstreet, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
*Venkatachalapathy Temple
Sri Venkatachalapathy Temple is a temple situated in Trivandrum, Kerala, about a minute walk from the southern gate of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. It is also known as Srinivasar kovil, Perumal Kovil, Iyyengar Kovil or Desikar Sannidhi. The t ...
* Shree Balaji Mandir, Fanaswadi
*Shri Lakshmi Venkate Devasthan, Chatribagh, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
*Kodandarama Temple, Buchireddypalem, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh
*Shri Balaji Temple, Washim, Maharastra
*Sri Venkateswara Swamy Devastanam, Jamalapuram, Khammam Dist, Telangana
*Sri Venkateswara Swamy Devastanam, Kaman Bajar, Khammam Dist, Telangana
*Sri Venkateswara Swamy Devastanam, Garla, Khammam Dist, Telangana
*Sri Venkateswara Swamy Devastanam, Jeelacheruvu, Khammam Dist, Telangana
*Sri Venkateswara Swamy Devastanam, Palvoncha, Khammam Dist, Telangana
;Indonesia:
* Sri Balaji Venkateswara Temple, Medan
Medan (; English: ) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, as well as a regional hub and financial centre of Sumatra. According to the National Development Planning Agency, Medan is one of the four main ...
, North Sumatera
North Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Utara) is a province of Indonesia located on the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan. North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province after West Java, East Java and ...
;Mauritius:
*Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swami Temple, La Laura-Malenga La Laura-Malenga is a village in the Moka District in Mauritius. The population was 1,230 in 2000 and is estimated to be 1,336 as of 2012. The village got its name "La Laura-Malenga" in 1859. The name came from a 19th-century sugar estate. Le Pouce, ...
*Hari Hara Devasthanam
;United States of America:
*Malibu Hindu Temple
Malibu Hindu Temple is a Hindu temple built in the traditional South Indian style, and dedicated to the worship of the Hindu god Venkateswara. It is located in the Santa Monica Mountains, in the city of Calabasas, California, Calabasas near Malib ...
, California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
*Venkateswara Temple, Minnesota
Sri Venkateswara Center Inc. (SV Center) is a Hindu temple located in Edina, Minnesota.
The principal deity worshipped is Venkateswara
Venkateswara, also known by various other names, is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is th ...
* Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh
* Sri Venkatewara Temple of North Carolina
* Sri Balaji Temple, Bridgewater, NJ
* Sri Venkateswara Temple at Castle Rock, Denver, Colorado
Sree Venkatesvara temple, Richfield Ohio
(Cleveland area)
* Hindu Temple of Atlanta, Riverdale GA
Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple, Aurora Illinois
(Chicago Area)
Sri Venkateswara Temple of Central Ohio
(Columbus, Ohio)
HECSA Portland Balaji Temple
(Hillsboro, Oregon)
;Australia:
*Venkateswara Temple
;England:
*Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple
The Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple () is one of the largest functioning Hindu temples in Europe. It is dedicated in the Vaishnava tradition to a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. The temple is located in Tividale, West Midlands, England between ...
, West Midlands
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
, England
;Malaysia
*Sri Venkatachalapathi & Alamelu Temple, Batu Caves, Selangor
;Nepal
*Narayanhiti Temple (Inside Royal Palace of Narayanhiti) Kathmandu
*Budhanilakantha Temple ( Sleeping Vishnu), Kathmandu
See also
*Padmavathi
Padmavati (, ) also known as Alamelu Manga is a Hindu goddess and the consort of the deity Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu. She is described as a daughter of local king and an avatar of goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu.
The most prom ...
*Vakula Devi
Vakula Devi is the foster mother of Lord Venkateswara. Vakula Matha Temple is situated in Peruru(patakaluva) located in Tirupati city, Andhra Pradesh. As per the legend of Tirumala, it dates back to Dvapara Yuga when Yasoda, the foster mother ...
* Perumal
* Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam
*Sri Tirupati Venkateswara Kalyanam
''Sri Tirupati Venkateswara Kalyanam'' is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film, based on Lord Venkateswara Avatar at Tirumala, produced and directed by N. T. Rama Rao under his Ramakrishna Cine Studios banner. It stars N. T. Ra ...
References
External links
Veṅkaṭācala-māhātmya, Skanda Purana
Official Tirumala Homepage
{{Authority control
Forms of Vishnu
Regional Hindu gods
Telugu names