Tirupati Architecture Galore There Has Been Long and Serious Debate On

Tirupati Architecture Galore by newsdesk There has been long and serious debate on the origins of the deity. Writes Nanditha Krishna in her book Balaji-Venkateshwara: Lord of Tirumala-Tirupati, An Introduction: ,Hindu deities are generally identified by their attributes, vehicles and distinguishing marks. Venkatesha has no attributes. The original stone image has a crescent mark on the forehead and holds nothing, the jewelled conch and discus being later detachable additions.' Krishna points to some distinctly Shaivite features such as matted locks, snake-shaped ornaments and cobras slung over the right arm. The drapery of the lord resembles a sari and the ceremonial bath is performed only on a Friday with sandal paste and turmeric (women's cosmetics), hinting at the worship of a goddess, to the chanting of Sri (Lakshmi) Sukta. There are also several clues pointing to the deity being Subrahmanya, such as the temple's location on a hill and the hunting festival associated with it, mentioned in ancient Tamil literature. It was Sri Ramanujacharya (1017-1137) who is believed to have established the temple as a Vaishnava kshetra. Regardless of the debate and its direction, even the Alwars, though staunch Vaishnavites, saw both Shiva and Vishnu in the image. The earliest recorded reference to the temple is by the Tamil scholar Tholkappiar in the 2nd century BCE, who referred to the Tirumala Hill as the northern boundary of the Tamil world. Tamil Sangam literature, dated between 2nd and 8th centuries CE, also has many references to the temple and deity. The ancient name of this holy site was Vengadam, from the Sanskrit word Venkata, which means `destroyer of sins'. It was the Yadava Rayas (1184-1355), regional satraps, who gifted land, villages and cows to the temple, who ruled in favour of Ramanujacharya's appeal to establish it as a Vaishnavite shrine, and brought the temple to prominence. Between 1359 and 1684, the temple grew in wealth and fame, especially during the reign of Krisnadevaraya, whose statues with those of his queens, installed during his own lifetime, can be seen even today while in the queue. The famous three-tiered golden gopuram, the Ananda Nilayam, was first gilded during the reign of Veera Narasingdeva Yadava Raya (1205-1262). It was redone four times after that by different rulers, including once by Krishnadeva Raya in 1518. A fine example of Dravidian architecture, the present vimana was completely renovated and plated with 12,000 tolas of gold in 1958. Traditionally, the temple was being managed by the Sthanathars, a priestly community. In 1724, Daud Khan was appointed as the Nawab of Carnatic by Asaf Jah, the Nizam of Hyderabad. He demanded an annual tribute of Rs 2 lakh, to make up for which various fees and payments were introduced. The East India Company took over the temple in 1801. In 1843 the management was handed over to mahants (priests) until, in 1933, the then Madras Legislature promulgated a special act, which put the temple under the management of a Board of Trustees. Sir Thomas Munroe, Governor of Madras Presidency, who believed he was cured of acute stomach pain by the grace of Lord Venkateshwara, created an endowment by gifting the village of Kotavayulu in Chittoor District, for a daily offering of a gangalam (still known as the Monroe gangalam) of pongal. Similiarly, when Lord Williams was cured of a chronic illness, he started the practice of a drinking water service, the Lord Williams chali pandili, at Mookalametta, continued to this day. Post-Independence, with the formation of Andhra Pradesh, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), headed usually by an IAS officer, was established to manage all the temples in the Tirumala-Tirupati area, and to engage in various welfare activities , providing better facilities to pilgrims, renovating ancient temples, establishing and managing educational institutions and hospitals, afforestation, propagation of culture and publishing spiritual literature. Thomas Munroe, Governor of Madras Presidency, who believed he was cured of acute stomach pain by the grace of Lord Venkateshwara, created an endowment by gifting the village of Kotavayulu in Chittoor District, for a daily offering of a gangalam (still known as the Monroe gangalam) of pongal. Similiarly, when Lord Williams was cured of a chronic illness, he started the practice of a drinking water service, the Lord Williams chali pandili, at Mookalametta, continued to this day. Post-Independence, with the formation of Andhra Pradesh, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), headed usually by an IAS officer, was established to manage all the temples in the Tirumala-Tirupati area, and to engage in various welfare activities , providing better facilities to pilgrims, renovating ancient temples, establishing and managing educational institutions and hospitals, afforestation, propagation of culture and publishing spiritual literature. Tirupati Architecture Galore by newsdesk.

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