Tirupati
Balaji is situated at 67-km from Chittoor in the state
of Andhra Pradesh,India. Tirupati is one of the important
pilgrim centres in India. The ancient and sacred temple
of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak,Venkatachala
of the Tirupati Hill. This historic
shrine of Sri Venkateswara is famous all over the country
and attracts pilgrims from all over the country who
stand in line for hours together to obtain a glimpse
of the presiding deity for a few fleeting seconds.
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The
shrine is located on a hill at Tirumala,a cluster
of seven hills known as Seshachalam or Venkatachalam
with an elevation of 853m (2,800ft.) above the sea
level. It is said to be the richest temple in the
world. This temple is a vibrant cultural and philanthropic
institution with a grand history spanning several
centuries.
Lord.
Tirupathi is a fine example of dravidian temple architecture.
The 'gopuram' or tower of the Tirupati
Temple shows a
characteristic feature of Dravidian architecture. The
'Vimana' or Cupola over the sanctum sanctorum is covered
entirely with gold plate and is known as "the Ananda
Nilayam". The Shrine consists of three 'Prakarams'
or enclosures. The outermost enclosure contains the 'Dhvajastambha'
or the banner post and,among others,the statues of Vijayanagara
king Krishnadevaraya and his consorts,and of Todarmal,the
minister of Akbar. The idol of the deity,the full figure
of Lord Venkateswara or 'Venkataramana' or 'Srinivasa'
or 'Balaji' has the
attributes of both Vishnu and Shiva,preserving and destroying
aspects of the Hindu Trinity.
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