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Tirupati

Tirupati, one of the richest temples in the country, is the most venerated
Vaishnavite shrine of Lord Venkateswara. It was patronised by the Pallavas,
the Cholas, the Pandyas and the Vijayanagar kings. 130 kms from the city
of Madras (Chennai), this temple is located in the southern Chittoor district
of Andhra Pradesh. Tiru' in Tamil means `Sri'. Hence Tirupati translates
to Sripati or Sri Maha Vishnu.
According to the Puranas, the range of Tirumala hills represent the body
of the serpent Adisesha, on which Lord Vishnu, the protector of the world,
rests. The seven hills represent the seven heads of the serpent.
Location
Tirupati town is 67-km from Chittoor in Chittoor district, the southern
portion of Andhra Pradesh. The most important place of interest at the
place is the historic shrine of Sri Venkateswara, the Lord of Seven Hills,
who is famous all over the country.
History
Tirupati was developed mainly by the contributions made by kings during
their rule. Almost all the kings from great dynasties of the southern
peninsula have paid homage to Lord Sri Venkateswara in this ancient shrine
of Tirupati. The Pallavas of Kancheepuram (9th century AD), the Cholas
of Thanjavur (a century later), the Pandyas of Madurai, and the kings
and chieftains of Vijayanagar (14th - 15th century AD) were devotees of
the Lord and they competed with one another in endowing the temple with
rich offerings and contributions.
During the rule of the Vijayanagar dynasty contributions made to the
temple increased enormously. Krishnadevaraya had statues of himself and
his consorts installed at the portals of the Tirupati temple, and these
statues can be seen to this day. There is also a statue of Venkatapati
Raya in the main temple at Tirupati.
Pilgrimage Attractions of Tirupati
Tirupati Tirumala Balaji Temple
The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh
peak, Venkatachala (Venkata Hill) of the Tirupati Hill, and lies on the
southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini.It is by the Lord's presidency
over Venkatachala, that He has received the appellation, Venkateswara
(Lord of the Venkata Hill). He is also called the Lord of the Seven Hills.
Padmavati Devi Temple
In Tiruchanur, 5-km from Tirupati , is this large temple dedicated to goddess
Padmavati, the consort of Lord Venkateswara or Venkateshwara (Balaji). It
also known as "Alamelumangapuram" and it is said that a visit
to Tirumala is fruitful only after visiting the Sri Padmavati Devi temple.
Sri Govindarajaswami Temple
One of the very important temples in Tirupati , Sri Govindarajaswami Temple
was consecrated by Saint Ramanujacharya in 1130 AD. It is located in the
heart of the Tirupati.