TIRUPATI

The town owes its existence to the sacred temple situated on the Tirumala Hills. Tirumala is the abode of Lord Venkateshwara, (one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu), located atop Seshachala hills often called as "Yaelu Malai" or "Yaedu Kondalu" (seven hills). The temple of Lord Venkateshwara is the richest Hindu temple and the most visited religious center (of any faith) in the world.





There is no clear history on the origin of the temple of Lord Venkateshwara, but it was maintained and upgraded by various kingdoms. These include the Pallava Kingdom around 9th Century AD,Chola Kingdom around 10th century AD and the latest one being Vijayanagara Empire around 14th to 15th century AD. It was during the rule of Vijayanagara Empire that the temple received increased contributions.

The site was an established center of Vaishnavism around 5th century A.D. during which it was praised by Alvars (Vaishnava saints). The temple rites were formalized by the Vaishnavite saint Ramanujacharya himself, in the 11th century AD. Tirupati survived the Muslim and British invasions. It is believed that during the invasions the deity of Sriranganatha from Srirangam was brought to Tirupati for safekeeping at Ranga Mandapam.

The Madras legislature passed a special act in 1933 whereby the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) committee was invested with powers of administration and control through a commissioner appointed by the Government of Madras.