A description of the idol of Lord Venkateswara (Tirupati Balaji)
The idol of the Lord, Tirupati Balaji, or Lord Venkateswara Swamy is a majestic, beautiful, and superbly executed one. The full majesty, divine grace, and unbounded compassion of the Lord is manifest even to the uninitiated either when the Lord gives darshan draped in all his clothes and ornaments, or on Friday the abisheka day when these are removed when the Lord’s full glory is revealed in all its pristine purity.
The most arresting feature of the Lord is the permeating aura of an overpowering sense of divinity, that is so utterly compassionate, that pours out love and desire to help if only one turns to Him. His facial expression with long and dark eyes in ‘sama drishti,’ and with an eternal smile is extraordinarily tranquil and beautiful, reflecting a sense of complete love and serenity, that envelops all living creatures in its benevolence.
The Lord of Tirumala – Tirupati Balaji is a supreme pontiff, who cares not for worldly power, and because he is in all, all are part of him, and if we surrender to Him, our cares are His. And when the eternal takes care of our cares, whom should we fear, and what should we worry about?
He asks only one price for it viz., our love, and how easy is it to pay!
The Lord’s figure is richly adorned with
- flowing locks of hair or jatajuta and some of these locks of curly hair rest on his shoulders.
- The nose is delicately carved and is neither prominent nor flat.
- The mouth of the Lord is also exquisitely shaped.
- The chin and the ears are carved proportionately.
- The ears have beautiful ear ornaments.
- The chest of the Lord is magnificent in cut and size and should if measured, be between 36 to 40 inches in width, while the waist would be between 24 to 27 inches.
- The neck is conch-like and the body is in the posture of a lion and exquisitely shaped.
- The belly is also beautifully modeled.
- The Lord’s image has four arms, the upper two being carved to hold the chakram and the conch; the chakram and the conch are not integral parts of the main idol.
- The upper right arm holds the Sudarshana Chakra; the upper left arm holds the Panchajanya, the conch of Lord Vishnu which is blown by Him in times of war.
- The lower right hand of the Lord is in the Varada Hasta pose, while the lower left hand is in the Katyavalambita pose.
- The fingers of the left-hand rest on the left thigh, with the thumb of the hand almost parallel to the waistline.
While the idol itself is not exactly standing in the tribhanga pose, the body near and below the waist has taken a slight tilt to the left and the knee themselves are bent and open slightly outwards, giving the idol peculiar grace and charm. Mother Lakshmi is carved on the right chest of the Lord in the sitting pose and is an integral part of the mula murthi. The yagnopavitam and a set of four necklaces or ornaments of the neck can also be made out on the idol.
The arms have armlets. The figure is depicted as wearing a dhoti from the waist downwards, while the upper portion is not covered by any dress or vastram. The nipples of the Lord on his chest are button-like and are prominent. There is however a katibandham or waist band and this waist band is about 2 inches thick. The legs and feet of the Lord are beautifully shaped, strong and lissome. Both the knees are bent and open slightly outwards, giving the stately figure charm and grace.
The feet are models of perfection and have ornaments near the anklets. The Lord’s image has on the shoulders marks resembling ‘scars made by the constant wearing of the bow and a pack of arrows’.
The idol is a splendid specimen of a divya manohara murti. He is to one and all a real embodiment of that eternal principle which is imperishable and which out of its grace and kindness stretches forth its hand, and touches man, to make him remember what he really, is, and to recover his soul. One who has had the darshan of the Lord of Tirumala – Tirupati Balaji will never again hate another.
A darshan is a spiritual experience in itself, after which one feels completely different from what he was before. Many go to Him with a long list of requests and prayers. But whether one’s request is fulfilled or not, anyone turning to Him with sincerity and prayer will feel the power and presence of an intangible and agreeable sensation overpowering his troubled emotions.
Who can describe him who is beyond speech and tries to encompass in time Him who is timeless? We in our vanity think of serving Him. But whatever we do, the love of the Lord and his ever-flowing grace is there, and whatever else may nor may not be added to a devotee, one thing is certain, that mental peace, joy, and strength to sustain anything which the Lord chooses to give us would be added to us.
If ever any proof is required that temples are live institutions, the Lord at Tirumala is a verifiable truth.
