Temporarily CLOSED for a few months and is under renovation
The museum is open EVERY DAY from 8 am to 8 pm. Entry is free and works seven days a week.
Table of Contents
ToggleSV Museum - Location
SV Museum is situated in a sprawling building with an area of 1.25 lakh sq. ft opposite to Vaikuntham Queue Complex(VQC) in a kaleidoscopic environment of Tirumala surrounded by beautiful gardens and it is a rejoicing place for visiting pilgrims.
With nearly 10 Sections
The Hall of Antiques was first established in 1980 in Thousand Piller mandapam opposite the main shrine in Tirumala.
This museum is the epitome of the Traditions of Tirumala, Vaishnavism, and Hindu culture.
It houses more than 6000 items of historical interest ranging in date from a very early period to the present. The collections are spread over ten sections ranging from archaeology to contemporary items.
Rich Heritage
Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh has been a repository of rich heritage, cherished by the
- Kings,
- Nobles,
- Poets,
- Sculptures,
- Dancers,
- Musicians all gathered in Tirumala and enriched the temple lore.
It contains valuable antique materials to enable an art historian to trace the history and development of temple art.
Copper Plates of Annamayya
- Different galleries in the S.V. Museum host and display its acquisitions, donations, and offerings bequeathed from the unknown past.
- Vahanams gallery presents an array of Srivari Vahanams used during Brahmotsavams.
- Original copper plates of Annamayya’s compositions enthrall the visitors.
- Pilgrims can have a look at the Varahaswamy Copper inscription, a cherished treasure of Tirumala.
Krishnadevaraya Visits Tirumala
All the great dynasties of the southern peninsula of India have paid tributes to lord Venkateswara.
Pallavas of Kanchipuram, Cholas of Tanjavur, Pandyas of Madurai, Kings of Vijayanagara of Hampi and chieftains of local dynasties have esteemed the lord.
Sri Krishnadevaraya (16th Century AD) of the Vijayanagara Empire personally visited Tirumala seven times and offered tens of valuable ornaments made of jewels, diamonds, emeralds, and pearls.
Includes Ancient Weapons
The picture gallery on the third floor displays rare images of temple history, ornaments of the lord, and some contemporary art depicting Srinivasa and Tirumala.
The armory section displays a variety of ancient weapons like
- swords,
- shields,
- battle axes,
- guns etc used or possessed
by the rulers in the medieval and colonial periods.
In the origin and emergence of Vaishnavism in the south, the Alwars have played a significant role and they are given utmost importance in the museum. The front porch of the museum on both sides is decorated with stone images of Alwars.
Dhupa-Ganta and stone gallery with 80 images
The museum displays Dhupa-Ganta donated by Sri Krishnadeva Raya to a priest in Tirumala. You can witness this very precious item in the museum.
The stone gallery contains more than 80 wonderful images retrieved from across the region dating from the 8th century AD to the 19th century AD.
Most of these stone sculptures speak of the history of Vaishnavism in the region. The gallery of musical instruments has collected a wide range of instruments of bygone ages.
More than 1000 Inscriptions
The bronze section contains idols, nutcrackers, utensils, etc made centuries ago. Big iron bells, gigantic pulleys used to lift stones in temple buildings; and cauldrons decorate the spacious galleries of the museum.
The Hundi of the temple has received umpteen gold and silver coins ranging from the Roman Empire to the British era, all displayed in the museum.
Tirumala temple is well known for inscriptions super scripted on its walls. More than one thousand inscriptions depicting the history of the temple for 1500 years are stamped and exhibited in the outer gallery of the museum.
Rich Experience
The guide lecturers of the museum will assist you to visit different parts of the museum.
Visiting this museum would be a rich experience for you and your children will be inspired to learn from this wonderful center of heritage.
The museum also has the facility of a conference hall open to the public and invitees for deliberations on Tirumala history.
Includes Meditation Halls and Library
Pilgrims can recline in the meditation halls on the roof of the museum in the serene atmosphere and experience bliss in the lap of the lord.
- It houses a library with books in Telugu, English, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi on religion, history, heritage, temple arts, and architecture.
- It serves the curious pilgrims and research scholars doing research on Tirumala history.
Harini, the auditorium in the S.V. Museum is now planning to show interesting programs, documentaries, and films on Tirumala and heritage every day from 10 am to 6 pm.
After or before the darshan of lord Venkateswara spend some time in the S V Museum and get enlightened with the hoary past and colorful present.
Page source @ TTD Website
