Neeladri Archives - Tirumala Tirupati Yatra

AdiVaraha Kshetram

It is essential to know the names of the Seven Hills – Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri – that is the abode of Lord Venkateswara, the famous Kaliyuga Avatara of Sri Mahavishnu who descended from the Vaikunta to protect his devotees.

AdiVaraha Kshetra

He is the world-famous and richest god and is referred to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam. This kshetra is called Adivaraha Kshetra. Here in this Vaishnavite temple, pujas, and worship of God are done according to the Vaikhanasa Agama Sastras. The god is also known as Balaji, Venkatesa, Srinivasa, Govinda, etc. in other regions of India.

About the geographical conditions, the hills are at a height of 853 meters (2799 feet from sea level) and the temple has been constructed as per Dravidian Architecture. Here the god is manifested as Swaymbhu Avatara residing in the sanctum sanctorum.

Goddess Lakshmi stays with him on the left side of his chest, while Padmavathi rests on the right side in a Vimana Prakaram called Ananda Nilayam. The hills appear to start from the Western Ghats and are spread to the Eastern Ghats in a serpent shape, with Srisailam at its head and Tirumala at its tail.

The climate is very pleasant with abundant rains during monsoons and cold during winters. There are rich forests on these hills with a variety of flora and fauna.

Ananda Nilayam Tirumala

During summers, due to heat, the branches of dry trees catch fire easily and so, a lot of wild serpents and different kinds of animals may turn into ashes. Hence, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has taken necessary steps to control the fires when they happen as well as protect the species of animals, whether in the Zoo Parker on the ghat road area by putting fences as much as possible.

Venkatadri Samasthanam Brahmande Nasti Kinchana
Venkatesha Samo Devo Na Bhuto Na Bhavishyati ||

Festival of Kshetrapalaka

In Tirumala, Maha Sivaratri is celebrated as the festival of kshetrapalaka. Rudra, the kshetrapalaka is enshrined on the bank of Gogarbha Tirtha in the southeast corner at a distance of two kilometres from the temple of Lord Srinivasa. It is an age-old tradition to worship Lord Rudra with namaka chamaka and abhisheka on the day of Maha Sivaratri.

Establishing Mada Veedhi (Mada Streets)

Today we have the four mada streets around the Tirumala temple. But it was not so in Sri Ramanuja’s times. At that time, the Brahmotsavams were being held at Tiruchanoor. Sri Ramanuja established the four mada streets around the temple so that the standard route was available for the celebration.

From the very next year, the utsavams were shifted to Tirumala where they have been happening ever since.

Rituals

Several rituals are ascribed to Sri Ramanuja. These include the Friday Tirumanjanam (ritual bath with milk and water), the application of an upward mark made of (swetha mrutthika) earth to symbolize His Eternal Connection to us, first aradhana to the Lord’s divine weapons and conducting temple festivals with the processional image of the Lord for his devotees to celebrate and Sayanotsavam to Lord Krishna during Dhanurmaasam.

Creating Tirupati

In 1130, Sri Ramanuja is believed to have built a temple at the foot of the Tirumala hill with the help of a Yadava king and installed Sri Govindarajaswamy there. He also created a town around the temple called Govindaraja Pattana (also referred to as Govindapattinam), later known as Ramanujapuram and known as Tirupati from the 13th century.

Though there were many changes brought in the Tirumala temple activities due to changes in time, the principal tenets, sevas, rituals, and regulations for the smooth run of temple affairs brought by Srimad Ramanujacharya are continuing even today in Tirumala temple without any deviation.

Tirupati is a sacred pilgrimage centre, a marvel to behold. It is the holy place of mysterious powers and countless boons. It is an axe that cuts down the jungle of sins. Puranas sing praise of this place as ‘Kaliyuga Vaikuntha’. In modern times, the famous name Tirumala refers to the upper part of the hills, and the town below is known by the name, ‘Tirupati’.

But earlier, both the hilltop and town below together were commonly known as Tirupati.

Tirumala Hills

Tirumala Hills are popularly known as the abode of Lord Sri Venkateswara. These hills are known as Kaliyuga Vaikuntha bestowing and showering the divine grace of Lord Srinivasa upon the devotees uninterruptedly.

The Geographical, Pauranic and Divine significance of these hills earn a perpetually grand place among all the mountains and mountain ranges of Great Bharat. Geographically these Tirumala hills are situated at Tirupati in the Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh and are a part Seshachalam hills range of Eastern Ghats.

Eastern Ghats

The extent of Eastern Ghats covers the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and some of the parts of Karnataka along the eastern coast of Bharat. As described in the Grand Epic Srimad Ramayana of Valmiki these were known by the name Mahendra Giri, a grand and continuous range of mountains with one thousand peaks.

At the time of the marvellous leap of Hanuman across the ocean from Rameswaram to Lanka, these hills were broken into discrete sections of hills scattered in the said regions of Bharat having been pressed under the strong feet of the gigantic form of him. In these partitioned parts the great rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, adding picturesque beauty to nature, have been perennially flowing through these regions.

Inside Annadanam canteen - The Grandeur of Tirumala Hills

These Hills of Tirumala, being a part of Eastern ghats, have the inherited richness of flora and fauna, rare minerals and stones like limestone, bauxite and iron of these ghats.

Though the Tirumala Hills are presently said to have been covering 10.33 miles (26.75 km) in area the original extent of these hills as found in the Brahma Purana is 30 yojanas in length and 3 yojanas in width. A yojana is equal to 9 miles. So the length of the Seshachalam Hills range is 270 miles and the width is 27 miles.

Seven Hills

It is popularly known as the area of seven peaks namely

Seshadri,
Neeladri,
Garudadri,
Anjanadri,
Vrushabhadri,
Narayanadri and
Venkatadri.

Hence the temple of Lord Srinivasa on the top of these hills is known as the Temple of Seven Hills.

The Seven Hills collection is just the visible part of this holy place. But as has been mentioned earlier this is a very long range of hills of 270 miles in length.

These hills have several other names like

Anjanadri,
Vrishadri,
Seshadri,
Garudachala,
Tirthadri,
Srinivasadri,
Chintamani Giri,
Vrushabhadri,
Varahadri,
Jnanadri,
Kanakachala,
Anandadri,
Niladri,
Sumeru Sikharachala,
Simhachala,
Vaikunthadri and
Pushkaradri,

Each of these names has its pauranic importance in the history of Tirumala Hills.

Tirupati Balaji - Lord Venkateswara Swamy Harathi

Vrushadri or Dharmagiri

As Anjana Devi, the mother of Anjaneya, did penance on these hills to obtain him as her son this mountain is called Anjanadri. The word Vrusha means Dharma. As this is the abode of Dharma this region is known as Vrushadri or Dharmagiri.

Seshadri / Seshachalam

Seshadri is a very significant name for several reasons. Sesha the great serpent has been serving Sri Mahavishnu in many ways. He became the bed of Vishnu in the Milky Ocean. With one hood he is fanning the God. With one hood, he held all the weapons of Vishnu. One of the hoods became the head pillow of the Great God. One hood became the pillow below the feet of Srinatha.

With several hoods, he is providing shadow to Sri Jagatpati. Still, he is not satisfied. Hence he told Vishnu that he wanted to become a Hill and requested Him to dwell upon him. Sripathi nodded his head acquired the form of Sri Venkateswara and settled on the top of it which is known as Anadanilaya.

Hence the main mountain peak of this range is known as Seshadri and the entire range of the mountains is also called Seshachalam.

Garudadri / Garudachalam

One of the peaks is called Garudadri for the reason that it, the sports mountain (Krida Parvataa) of Srinatha from the Vaikuntha, has been brought by Garuda to this hill range placed it here. The other name of Garudadri is Garudachala. Sixty-five thousand Tirthas (holy streams of water) flow on the peaks of these hills along the 270-mile length of this Seshachalam. Hence this is called Tirthadri.

As this is the abode of Srinivasa, the incarnation of Vishnu, this is called Srinivasadri.

Chintamani Giri / Vrishabhadri

Chintamani Giri is one of the divine names of this mountain just for the reason this fulfils all the desires of the devotees who ever visit Lord Srinivasa on this mountain. Chintamani is the divine Gem in the control of Indra which yields all kinds of fulfilment just by praying to it.

Hence this mountain is known by Chintamani Giri for its resemblance with the gem Chintamani in fulfilling the desires of the devotees. This is also called Vrishabhadri.

Vrushabhadri

Dharma in the form of Vrushabha (A Divine Bull) moves in this region. Hence this is called Vrushabhadri. Before the advent of Lord Srinivasa, this hill range was under the rule of The Svetha Varaha incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Srinivasa requested Varaha Swami to permit him to stay there. Varaha Swami permitted Him to stay forever. Hence this is called Varahadri.

Jnanadri

Jnanadri is the name attained by the Ananda Nilaya part of these hills for the reason that the devotees who visit these hills with great devotion attain the essential knowledge for ultimate Moksha. Once this mountain was full of gold. Hence this is called Kanakachala.

This is the place of inexplicable bliss and an eternal source of salvation. Hence this is called Anandadri. As Srinivasa Swami was served by Niladevi on this mountain back this is called Niladri. Once a Brahmin named Narayana did a great penance on this mountain. So this is called Narayanadri.

Sumeru Sikharachala – Venkata Giri

Sumeru Sikharachala is a very significant one of all names of this mountain range. According to the scriptures and Brahma Purana, Venkata, the son of Sumeru was brought here by Garuda. The word Venkata, being the dwelling place of Lord Sri Venkateswara, became meaningful in two ways.

Vem- Sins Kata – annihilates. As this annihilates all the sins of the devotees this is called Venkata Giri.
Vem is the syllable of Nectar (Eternality). Kata is the suffix representing Wealth.

This mountain is the source of Nectar (Eternality) and Wealth called Venkata Giri. As this mountain is the offspring of Sumeru this is called Sumeru Sikharachala. Having been brought by Garuda this is placed on the banks of the river Suvarnamukhi.

Simhachala or Simhasaila

Simhachala or Simhasaila is another name for this mountain because Lord Nrusimha swami made this his abode for some time while gracing Prahlada after the slaughter of Hiranyakasipu.

Kaliyuga Vaikunta / Vaikuntadri

Vaikunthadri is one of the finest names of this mountain. According to this, Lord Srinivasa or Sri Venkateswara Swami or Balaji the incarnation of Sri Mahavishnu took a vow to permanently stay here till the end of Kaliyuga having left his original home Vaikuntha.

Hence this Tirumala is known as Kaliyuga Vaikunta or Vaikuntadri. One who gets the Darshan of Lord Sri Venkateswara and who takes a holy dip in the Swamipushkarini is assured to have a permanent place in Vaikuntha.

Final Word

In this manner, this great range of mountains which is not a small one has been worshipped with great devotion by all devotees as the very form of lord Sri Venkateswara. Every devotee needs to visit the Large range of mountains as depicted in the Brahma Purana.

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Tag: Neeladri