Padala Mandapam
The Seven Hills of Tirumala are as sacred as the Vedas. The holy Vedic hymns are their stones. The root of the footpath leading to the top of these hills, Alipiri, is the pedestal of the seven hills. A pilgrim takes the first step of the journey to the holy abode of the lord here only.
It looks as if Lord Venkateswara, to climb his holy hills took his first step here and left the imprints of his sacred feet at Alipiri. This spot is immortalized as ‘Padala mandapam’.
In 1628 A.D. Matla Kumara Anantharaya of Devachoda family built a mandapam at Alipiri renowned as padala mandapam. It is under the tamarind tree here that Tirumala Nambi taught the secrets of Ramayana to his disciple the divine Ramanuja.
It is believed that the holy footprints of Lord Venkateswara appeared at this spot as narrated in Sri Venkatachala ithi hasamala.
Venkateswara Swamy Padala Mandapam – Google Maps Location
Footprints of Lord Venkateswara
Pilgrims coming by foot to Tirumala first worship these sacred footprints of Lord Venkateswara. Those who cannot climb the hills prostrate to the holy footprints and express all their prayers there itself. All the devout pilgrims thus begin the pilgrimage after first worshipping Sri Venkateswara’s holy footprints.
There is a popular legend connected with this mandapam. Sri Kalahasti is in the northeastern corner of Tondai Mandapam, Kanchipuram is in the South.
During the sacred Sravana Saturdays, two Dalit Vaishnava Devotees after observing the fast prepared with flour and ghee lamps of worship (Pindi Taligha). In the flour sediment of each lamp, the footprints of the left and the right feet of the Lord appeared separately.
The Dalit devotees, strangers to each other, measured each imprint of the holy feet and prepared two sandals. They kept them in the Padala Mandapam.
Though each sandal was prepared independently without any idea of the other, the sandals formed into a perfect pair.
At this spot in August 2001, the idol of Lord Venkateswara was re-installed along with the Footprints and Dwarapalakas. Before climbing the hills, every devout pilgrim keeps these sandals on their head and goes around the mandapam for salvation.
