Tirupati - A Divine Destination
Tirupati City is located in the southeastern part of Andhra Pradesh
State. It lies about 152-km northwest of Chennai in the Palkonda Hills.
Tirupati is known as the abode of the Hindu god Venkateshvara (also
spelt as 'Venkatesvara'), "Lord of Seven Hills". About 10-km
northwest of Tirupati, at an elevation of 750m, is the sacred hill of
Tirumala, which was considered so holy that before 1870 non-Hindus were
not permitted to ascend it.
Back To History - The Ruling Dynasties
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 toLord
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.
The decline of the Vijayanagar dynasty did not affect the contributions
to this place as many nobles and chieftains from all parts of the
country continued to pay their homage and offer gifts to the temple.
Raghoji Bhonsle, the Maratha general, visited the temple and set up a
permanent endowment for the conduct of worship in the temple. He
presented valuable jewels to the Lord, including a large emerald, which
is still preserved in a box named after the General. Among the later
rulers who have endowed large amounts are the rulers of Mysore and
Gadwal.
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.
After the fall of Hindu kingdoms, came the Muslim rulers of Karnataka
and after their downfall the British took over, and many of the temples
came under their supervisory and protective control.
In 1843 AD, the East India Company divested itself of the direct
management of non-Christian places of worship and native religious
institutions.
