Tirupati,
Andhra Pradesh,
India
Tirupati, 150 km northwest of Chennai in the Palkonda Hills, is known as
the abode of Venkateshwara, Lord of Seven Hills, and a form of
Vishnu. About 15 km northwest, on the sacred hill of Tirumala (elevation 750 m), is a temple dedicated to
Venkateshwara. A
fine example of Dravidian art and one of the most important pilgrimage
centers in India, it employs 18,000 and attracts more pilgrims than
Jerusalem, Rome, and Mecca - on a typical day, 100,000 pilgrims visit
this temple. The devout consider it auspicious to have their heads
shaved during their visit. About 500 years ago, Tallapaka Annamacharya
fathered a new genre of devotional singing addressed to lord Venkateshwara,
which today fills the air at Tirumala. His
Sankirtana Laksanam, a collection of 32,000 songs in Sanskrit and Telugu,
represents a significant contribution to Carnatic music.
♣
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Venkateshwara
temple (more)
 |
Darshan queue
starts here
 |
Temple bathing
tank
 |
Holy water?
 |
Venkateshwara
kitsch
 |
|
Shiny pates
 |
Freshly
tonsured
 |
Sadhus
 |
Open air puja
 |
Coconut
offering
 |
Camphor smoke
 |
Devout women
 |
One of many
temples
 |
|
Shaved family
 |
Giant banyan
tree
 |
Porter
 |
Getting used
to it
 |
Afternoon
stroll
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Wealthy couple
(more)
 |
Beggar
 |
Inner calling
 |
Siesta
 |
Laddus for the
lord
 |
Tirupati train
station
 |
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