Tirumala is a Hindu Religion temple town in Tirupati district of the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the neighbourhoods of the Tirupati city. The town is a part of Tirupati Urban Development Authority and located in Tirupati (urban) mandal of Tirupati revenue division.
Etymology
The word Tirumala is of Dravidian origin. The term “Tiru” means sacred or holy, and “Mala” means
mountain or
hill.
The prefix "Tiru" (or "Thiru") is a widely recognised Tamil word and is used in many South Indian place names.
Geography
Tirumala is located above sea level and covers an area of approximately . Surrounding the hills are seven peaks of the
Seshachalam range of
Eastern Ghats namely Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri. The temple of
Venkateswara is on the seventh peak (Venkatadri).
At the 12 km (7.5 mi) point on the Tirupati – Tirumala Ghat road, there is a major discontinuity of stratigraphic significance that represents a period of remarkable serenity in the geological history of the Earth. This is referred to as the Eparchaean Unconformity. This unconformity separates the Nagari Quartzite of the Proterozoic from the granite of the Archean, representing a time gap of 800 Mya.
Silathoranam, a natural arch and a distinctive geological wonder, is located in Tirumala Hills at a distance of from the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The arch measures in width and metres in height and is eroded out of quartizite of Cuddapah Supergroup of Middle to Upper Proterozoic (1600 to 570 Mya) by weathering agents such as water and wind.
Climate
Tirumala has a humid subtropical climate designated Cwa, with dry winters under the Köppen climate classification. As the hill shrine is situated amidst the hills, the temperature will go below 10 degrees
Centigrade in winter. Summers are not as hot here, especially compared to Tirupati. The southwest monsoon season starts from June, but rains are not heavy. Occasionally, thunderstorms form and downpours may persist for hours. Pertaining to
Orographic lift, the northeast monsoon remains active over the region for 2 months. It causes flooding. The highest 24-hour rainfall on record was on 23 November 2005, followed by on 9 November 2015.
Legend
In ancient literature, Tirupati is mentioned as Adi Varaha Kshetra. The
Puranas associate the site with
Varaha, one of the
Dashavatara of
Lord Vishnu. In the
Varaha Purana, Venkatadri is believed to be a part of
Mount Meru, which was brought on to the earth from Vishnu's abode
by his mount
Garuda. The seven peaks represent the seven heads of
Adisesha or Seven doors of Vaikuntha.
Demographics
India [[census]],
Telugu language is the major language.
Hinduism is the only religion in Tirumala.
Culture
The town of Tirumala is strictly
vegetarian. Consumption of non-vegetarian food, alcohol, and
is strictly prohibited in Tirumala, and smuggling any of these is considered a serious offence.
and
are the traditional popular attire. The practices of tonsure and using tilaka are popular among devotees of
Venkateswara.
Festivals
Srivari Brahmotsavams is the most important festival in Tirumala that is celebrated every year during September/October and receives lakhs of devotees over a short span of a nine days.
The city celebrates all major Hindu festivals including
Sankranti,
and so forth.
Vaikunta Ekadasi, the day on which it is believed that Vaikuntha Dvarams will be opened, is celebrated in Tirumala.
Rathasapthami is another festival, celebrated during February, when Venkateswara processional deity, (
Malayappa swami) is taken in a procession around the temple on seven different
from early morning to late night.
Cuisine
Tirupati is known for the
Tirupati Laddu. It is the
at the Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala. Only the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams manufactures and sells this product.
Consumption of non-vegetarian food, alcohol, smoking and chewing tobacco are strictly banned, and those who disregard the law are arrested.
Arts, crafts and architecture
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams established Sri Venkateswara Museum, one at Tirumala and the other at Tirupati. It has a wonderful collection of Tirupati temple architecture and historical artefacts, such as ancient weaponry, pooja items and idols. It has a comprehensive photo gallery that gives a unique insight into the Tirupati region's culture and traditions. It also boasts a meditation centre.
Landmarks
Venkateswara Temple is an abode of
Venkateswara situated in Tirumala. It is also known as Tirumala Temple.
Natural Arch is located north of the temple, which measures wide and high and was naturally formed from the quartz.
Srivari Padamulu (the footprints of Lord) are believed to be the footprints of Venkateswara formed when he first stood on Tirumala Hills.
is a waterfall flowing from a tributary of the Swarnamukhi River. It also has a temple where seven lion-headed channels open from a height for deities to bathe below them. A temple dedicated to goddess Ganga is located near the enclosure.
Akaasa Ganga is another natural waterfall in Tirumala.
Transport
- Foot Steps
There are two paths to travel on foot from Tirupati to Tirumala. These paths are called
Sopanamargas. Devotees ritually take this path to reach Tirumala on foot from Tirupati. Both the paths are completely roofed and passes through seven hills which are part of Seshachalam Hills.
-
Alipiri Mettu
-
Srivari Mettu
- Road
Tirumala can be accessed by road from Alipiri. The distance is . There are two roads from Alipiri to Tirumala, one each dedicated to up and down traffic. The state government-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) operates frequent
Saptagiri and
Saptagiri Express buses from Tirupati and Alipiri and also from nearby places. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) runs free buses for transit within Tirumala.
- Rail
The nearest railway station is at Tirupati, about from Tirumala. Tirupati Main railway station is one of the major railway station in the South Central Railway zone of the
Indian Railways, providing rail connectivity to major parts of India. It is under the jurisdiction of Guntakal railway division.
is another important railway station which lies on the
Chennai –
Mumbai rail corridor is away from Tirumala.
- Airport
The nearest airport is
Tirupati Airport, about from Tirumala. It is a domestic and International airport with direct flights to
Visakhapatnam and
New Delhi. The nearest major airport is the Chennai International Airport, located about from Tirumala.
See also
-
Tirupati
-
Hindu Temples in Tirupati
-
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams
-
Tirupati district
-
Sacred mountains of India
External links
