TRICHY TRAVEL GUIDE

At the base of the Tirumalai Hills in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, lies Tirupati, one of the most ancient and sacred pilgrimages in India. The main attraction here is the world renowned Sri Venkateswara temple believed to receive more pilgrims than Jerusalem and Mecca. Great dynasties like the Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas and the kings and chieftains of Vijayanagar, www.nikejanoski.es were believed to have been devotees at this shrine. The shrine is presently under the administration of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Committee managed by a Board of Trustees. Summers here are hot and humid but winters are warm and pleasant and are the best time to visit Tirupati. One of the major attractions is the Sri Venkateswara Temple with a large number of devotees visiting it everyday..Other shrines that can be visited are Sri Govindrajaswamy Temple, Sri Kodandaramaswami Temple, Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple,and Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami Temple. You can also visit Tiruchanur, which has the temple of Sri Padmavathi Devi is situated. Besides religious sites, excursions around Tirupati take you to some really beautiful picnic spots. A trip to Chandragiri will take you to the famous Chandragiri Fort while Kalyani Dam, Horsley hills or Kailasakona Waterfalls are goodoptions for enjoying the natural beauty. Some other well-known temples are Sri Kalahasthi, Sri Vedanarayana Swamy Temple, Agastyaswamy Temple and a shrine dedicated to Kalyana Venkateswara at Narayanavanam.

Sri Venkateswara Temple

On the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, this ancient temple located on the seventh peak of the Tirupati Hills, is a major attraction. Hindu texts make allusions to the benefits recieved by a pilgrimage undertaken to this temple. It is a masterpiece ofDravidian architecture and dates back to the 12th-century. Besides the awe-inspiring structure,we have the idol of Lord Venkateswara, supposedly a form of Vishnu.

Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple

Situated 3 km to the north of Tirupati, at the bottoms of the Tirumala Hill, is the Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple, the only temple dedicated to Lord Siva. The temple has an attractive setting with a sacred waterfall called Kapila Teertham or Alwar Teertham.

Sri Kodandaramaswami Temple

Built in the tenth century AD, Sri Kodandaramaswami Temple is situated in the heart of Tirupati. Its main deities are Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. Legend has it that this temple commemorates Lord Rama's visit to Tirupati. The temple of Anjaneyaswami, is a sub-shrine of this temple.

Tiruchanurt

Also known as Alamelumangapuram, it is situated at about 5 km from Tirupati. The temple of Sri Padmavathi Devi or Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Sri Venkateswara is situated here. It is believed that a visit to Tirumalai is fruitful only after going to the Sri Padmavathi Devi temple. The sub-temples remises include the Sri Krishnaswamy Temple, Sri Sundara Rajaswamivari Temple and Sri Suryanarayana Swamivari Temple.

Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami temple

About 12 km west of Tirupati lies the Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami temple at Srinivasa Mangapuram. Legend has it that Lord Venkateswara stayed here for a while after his marriage with Sri Padmavathi Devi before they proceeded to Tirumala.