Tirupati

Tirupati is a fascinating town for people, who want to find out more about Hinduism, or those, who want to exercise their religious beliefs. The numerous temples in the town and its vicinity give a tranquil and serene ambience to Tirupati. Waking up to the temple bells and hearing the chanting of the temple priests and devotees can be a rejuvenating experience that can soothe the mind and soul. The town is also famous for its wooden toys, which are made from a type of red wood.

Goddess Alamelumanga Temple

This temple is about 5 kilometres from the town of Tirupati. Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple is dedicated to Goddess Padmavathi, who was the consort of Lord Venketswara. The temple was constructed during the reign of King Thondaman Chakravarthy. It is claimed that worshippers used to first visit this temple and pay homage to Goddess Padmavathi before going to the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati. Padmavathi was the daughter of Akasha Raja of Thondamandalam. It is believed that after performing oblation to the Gods, he found a baby girl resting on a lotus and named her Padmavathi. This girl went on to marry Lord Venkateswara. Goddess Padmavathi also is known as Alamelu Manga, which means an inexhaustible source of compassion and love.

Tirumala

The king of all temples lies in Tirupati, which is located in the Chittoor District. The town is located at the foothills of Tirumala Hills, which is home to one of the most ancient and holy temples of India. This temple attracts millions of devotees each year and is called Sri Venkateswara Temple. It is claimed that the temple get more pilgrims than Mecca and Jerusalem. Tirupati is about 525 kilometres from Hyderabad and is surrounded by seven panoramic hills, which are home to perennial waterfalls, lush valleys and verdant forests. Besides the Sri Venkateswara Temple, other shrines located in the region include the Sri Govindrajaswamy Temple, Sri Kondandaramaswami Temple, Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple and the Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami Temple.

Kanipakam

The village of Kanipakam is located in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, on the banks of Bahuda River. This village is famous for its Lord Ganesha temple, which is known as Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple. According to archaeological and historical evidence, the temple was built in the early part of the 11th century CE by King Kulothunga Chola I and was expanded subsequently by the kings of the Vijayanagar Dynasty. Local legend claims that the idol of Lord Ganesha housed in the temple grows continuously. Another local legend claims that the temple was constructed after a self-manifested idol of Lord Vinayaka made an appearance in the local well waters. Even today, the idol is housed in this well and the water in the well is perennial. During the rainy season, the holy water from the well overflows.

 

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