Introduction
He rises when evil ascents to power, protect the good, and establishes righteousness. He holds the Sudarshana chakra and restores dharma, if necessary, even by means of war. He is the Lord who resides in the depths of the ocean and sleeps on the body of the serpent, Adishesha.
He is the protector of the cosmic. He is Lord Vishnu.
There’s no limit to the names he is called by. Balaji, Govinda, Krishna, Narayana, Jagannath, Akshar, and it goes on and on.
Lord Vishnu incarnates on Earth in different periods as different beings. His 10 avatars, called Dashavatara, are Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki. In the holy land of Thirupathi, where he resided in the Kali Yuga, the Lord of Seven Hills blesses his deities in the form of Venkateshwara Swamy.
We can bring the Lord home by simply having a Lord Balaji Tanjore painting in our pooja room.
Today, let’s explore the wonders of Thirupathi Balaji.
The Enigmatic Aura of Thirupathi Balaji
It is said that Sage Brighu, one of the Sapta Rishis, wanted to find out who was the greatest God among the Trinity, called the Thiru Murthy. Lord Brahma, the creator of the worlds; Lord Vishnu, the protector of the worlds; and Lord Shiva, the destroyer of the worlds.
He checked Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva by their virtue of tolerance, as it is a sign of greatness. His actions of disrespect enraged both the Lords. Lord Brahma soothed his rage, as the rishi was his son, and Goddess Parvati calmed Lord Shiva, who wanted to kill the sage.
Next, he went to Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu, who was engrossed in a conversation with his consort, Goddess Lakshmi, didn’t pay attention to the arrival of the sage. Enraged by the Lord’s actions, the sage kicked Lord Vishnu in the chest.
Lord Vishnu, instead of getting angry, calmly said this while holding and massaging the sage’s feet.
“Sage Bhrigu, I’m sorry that I didn’t notice your arrival. Did your foot get hurt because my chest is so hard and strong?”
The sage’s fury waned, and he understood the mistake he had committed and pleaded for the Lord’s forgiveness.
But Goddess Lakshmi was furious as the sage disrespected and humiliated her as the sage set foot on Lord Vishnu’s chest, where she lives. She leaves Vaikuntha in her divine fury and comes down to earth, where she was born as a human in the family of a king, Akasha Raja, as his daughter Padmavati.
The Mystical Realm of Thirupathi
Lord Vishnu was dejected without his Lakshmi, so he came down to earth to find her. He entered an ant hole and started meditating. Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma searched for Lord Vishnu and came down to earth as cow and calf, only to find him meditating devoid of food and water.
It is said that Lord Shiva, as the cow, poured milk inside the anthill to feed the blue-skinned Lord.
Princess Padmavati grew into a beautiful maiden and was foretold by Narada that she would wed the supreme deity, Lord Vishnu himself. In his form as Srinivasa, Lord Vishnu won her hand in marriage.
For the marriage, Lord Vishnu received a huge sum of money from the god of wealth, Gubendra, which he promised to pay back by the end of Kali Yuga.
After the marriage, Lord Vishnu and Goddess stayed on the hills of Tirumala, hence the name “Bhuloka Vaikuntam.” A temple rose in the place and is now known as Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.
Nestled between beautiful hills, Tirupathi is the holy place where Lord Vishnu manifested to bless and guide his devotees to salvation in the Kali Yuga.
Decoding the Temple’s Design
The temple’s architecture is a work of beauty, with each and every detail intricately etched in the traditional Dravidian style to closely represent the Lord himself.
The entrance: The colossal gopurams, with their inscriptions and carvings, depict stories from Hindu mythologies. Maha Dwaram, a five-story gopuram, is the main entrance of the temple, with a Kalasam at its apex. Sankanidhi and Padmanidhi, guardians of the treasures of Lord Venkateswara, are present on either side of the entrance.
The area between the inner and outer compounds is known as Sampangi Pradakshina, encompassing various Mandapams and idols of Vijayanagara kings and their families.
Vendi Vakili, in the inner compound, is the second entrance that leads to Vimana Pradakhinam. ‘Nadimipadikavali’ is another name for the entrance, and the doors are plated with silver.
Vimana Pradakshinam is the area that circumambulates the Main Shrine. This area includes small shrines of different Gods, kitchen, Golden well, Lord’s Hundi, and other mandapams.
The Ananda Nilayam is the tower with a golden roof, whose inner temple houses Lord Venteshwara. The inner sanctum can be reached by crossing the Bangaru vakili (Golden Entrance). Lord Balaji stands majestically in the Garbhagruha, wearing a golden crown embedded with an emerald in the front and adorned with gems and gold, holding Goddess Lakshmi on the right chest and Sri Padmavathi Devi on the left.
Art Expressions of Lord Venkateshwara
Tanjore paintings are the pride of South Indian art, with a rich history, royalty, elegance, and tranquilizing beauty. The paintings are the fruit of long labor, love, and devotion. The Thanjavur painting of Perumal brings home blessings of abundance, success, and good fortune.
At Ethnic Tanjore Arts, Thanjavur paintings of Venkateswara are sketched carefully with utmost devotion, harmoniously weaving all the elements to bring forth the Thirupathi Balaji art whose radiance is unparalleled.
Conclusion
The very presence of Lord Vishnu as Sri Venkateswara Swamy on the holy territory of Tirupati represents a deep cosmic bond between the deity and the devotee that goes beyond simple religious meaning. Millions of people are drawn into the pure love of the Supreme Lord by his manifestation of grace and mercy in the majestic hills of Tirumala.
The pilgrimage to Tirupati is a soul-stirring voyage toward self-realization and heavenly contact, rather than just a physical one. Even though the voyage up the hills is arduous, all the pain fades away as one joins hands and prays to Lord Balaji.