20 FACTS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T

KNOW ABOUT TIRUMALA

TIRUPATI.
VAISHNAVI RAY 18/06/2015

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Who doesn’t know this city in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh? Celebrities like
Amitabh Bachchan and the likes have visited the temple often.
So, what is it that makes this pilgrimage site so special? Let’s see.

1. THE TIRUMALA RANGES SHOW THE FACE OF LORD BALAJI.

Natural Arch in the Tirumala Hills is a distinctive geological wonder located 1 km

(0.6 mi) North of the temple, near the Chakra Teertham. The Arch is also
called Silathoranam in Telugu (“Sila” means ‘rock’ and “thoranam” means a garland
strung over a threshold, connecting two vertical columns or an ‘arch’ as in this case).
The arch measures 8 m (26.2 ft) in width and 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, and is naturally
formed in the quartzites of Cudappah due to natural erosive forces.

Source Ramanan Blog

2. IT IS RENOWNED FOR ITS EXOTIC DRAVIDIAN ARCHITECTURE.

Primarily because its temples have pyramid shaped towers and are constructed of
sandstone, soapstone and granite.

Source
3. THIS PLACE IS KNOWN FOR ITS AMAZING LITERACY RATE
(87.55%).

What’s even more remarkable is that this is significantly higher than the national
average of 73%.Source
Source SV University

4. THE TOWN IS AN ESTABLISHED CENTER OF ‘VAISHNAVISM’.

Source

Around 5th century A.D. was the period during which it was praised by the Alwars.

5. THE TOWN IS A PART OF THE LEGENDARY ‘RAMAYANA’ TEXT.

According to Varaha Purana, during Treta Yugam, Lord Sri Rama resided here along
with Sita Devi and Lakshmana on his return from Lankapuri.

Source

6. IT IS A RECOGNIZED TOURISM CENTER IN THE COUNTRY.

It was awarded the title of “Best Heritage Site” by the Ministry Of Tourism in the year
2012-2013.
Source

7. ITS HISTORY IS GLORIFIED BY THE RESIDENCE OF VARIOUS

KINGDOMS.

Source

The Pallava Kingdom around 9th Century, the Chola Kingdom around 10th Century and
the Vijayanagara Empirearound 14th century stand testimony to this fact.
Source Flickr

8. SRI TALLAPAKA ANNAMACHARYA (ANDHRA PADA KAVITA

PITAMAHA) IS SAID TO HAVE SUNG MANY SONGS IN PRAISE
OF THIS HOLY TOWN.
He compared it to be divine; including the rocks, streams, trees, animals, and added that
it is heaven on earth.

(based on which the super hit movie “Annamayya” *starring Nagarjuna was made!)
Source Telugu

9. IT HAS THE SECOND LARGEST ZOO IN ASIA.

Source
Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park covers an area of 5,532 acres (22 square kilometers).
It is said to have been built on the concepts of the Hindu Mythology, and is home to
some of the animals that exist in ancient texts like Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Source
10. THE FLORA OF TIRUPATI IS UNDOUBTEDLY RARE.
Source

With about 1,500 vascular plant species belonging to 174 families, some of the rarest
and most endemic plant species like Red Sanders and Cycas Beddomei (only found
here!) are found here.

11. THE LOCAL NATIONAL PARK IS HOME TO SOME RARE BIRDS

AND ANIMALS, AND HAS WON ACCOLADES FROM SEVERAL BIO
RESERVES.
 Source
About 178 species of birds have been identified here, which also includes the globally
threatened “Yellow-throated bulbul”, the critically dangered “Oriental white-backed
vulture”, Loten’s Sunbird etc.

The “Gliding Lizard” and “Golden Gecko” are famous reptiles.

12. IT IS THE HOME GROUND OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S RICHEST

TEMPLE ADMINISTRATIONS, TTD (TIRUMALA TIRUPATI
DEVASTHANAM).
Source
The major source of its income is Kanuka or Hundi offerings.
Besides this, the sale of prasadam, darshan tickets, sale of seva tickets, sale of human
hair, and receipts from choultries (places of accommodation) are the other significant
sources of income.

The gross income of TTD for the current year (2014-15) is estimated to be Rs.2359.2
crores($385.33 mn). So, that is about Rs.6.34 crores($1.036 mn) per day. Whoooaaaa!
13. AND THE SECRET VILLAGE 22 KM FROM THE TOWN! WOW.
Source
Allows only the residents of that village to enter; and what’s more – it is said that the
village has a garden of flowers from where the flowers are fetched and used in the
sanctum of Lord Venkateswara Swamy.

14. THIS ULTRA COOL RELIGIOUS HUB HAS FREE TRANSPORT AT

ITS FEET.
Source
The free bus services operated by TTD in Tirumala are known as “Dharma Radhams”.
There are 12 such buses that pass through cottages, choultries, temples and other
places in Tirumala, at a frequency of every 3 minutes in the prescribed time slots.

Ahh, and the nostalgic Ghat Road Buses!

15. TALK OF NATURE’S WONDERS, AND YOU HAVE GARUDA HILL.

Source
The Garuda Hill in Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, features a natural rock
formation that is in the form of Garuda (the eagle).

Incidentally, it turns out that Garuda is also the vehicle of Lord Venkateswara.

16. THE EVER-FAMOUS 300-YEAR OLD “TIRUPATI LADDU” HAS A

GLOBAL PATENT, FOLKS!
Source

It got the patent rights under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and
Protection) Act; to counter the black market that was developing.
Around 150,000 laddus are made daily. Each laddu weighs around 100gms, and is said
to be made by a group of priests called “Archakas” in a special temple kitchen called
“poku”.

17. WHAT’S MORE? HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A PLACE THAT

HAS AN AMBULANCE FOR DISTRESSED ANIMALS?
NO? Then, maybe, you should get your facts right. Our very own Tirumala has it all.

The ambulance, a specially outfitted truck costing Rs. 13 lakh, has been funded by
the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Marchig Animal Welfare Trust of Scotland. It
uses a hydraulic system to haul animals into its stalls and can also be used for shifting
stray dogs.
Now, how cool is that?!

Source The Hindu

18. THE MOST-VISITED PLACE OF WORSHIP IN THE WORLD.

Visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily; while on special occasions and
festivals like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000
and more, making it the most-visited holy place in the world.
Source Tirupati Tirumala Travels

19. HOME TO “SRI VENKATESWARA TEMPLE”, ONE OF THE

WORLD’S RICHEST AND FAMOUS VAISHNAVITE TEMPLES
DEDICATED TO LORD VENKATESWARA.
Source
With the tag of being India’s richest temple (after the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala) of any faith, it is believed to have been around since 300
BC.

20. THE CITY OF MIRACLES, IT IS!

Needless to mention, the lights lit in front of the Swamy are said to be lit since
thousands of years.

Also, it remains a miracle that there is real hair on the main idol of Venkateswara
Swamy. The authorities say that this hair never tangles and is silky smooth always.