TIRUMALA TIRUPATI DEVASTHANAMS
TIRUPATI

INFORMATION TO PILGRIMS

• History of the Temple	• Legends about Tirumala and its God
• The Lord's manifestation at Tirumala	• How to reach
• How to make Tirumala pilgrimage a pleasant one	• Accommodation at Tirupati
• Accommodation at Tirumala	• Advance Reservation at Tirumala
• Seva Tickets under Current Booking	• Paid Sevas
• TTD Services Being offered on the Internet	• General Facilities at Tirumala
• Place of Interest in and around Tirupati	• Package Tour
• Places of Interest at Tirumala	• TTD Donation Schemes
• Important Telephone Numbers	• Sapthagiri Journal
• Srivari Seva	• Arjitha Sevas in Tirumala Temple

THE LORD'S MANIFESTATION AT TIRUMALA

There are two well known legends which explain the reason for Srinivasa's presence on this hill.

Once, Vishnu wanted to have a change from his usual abode in Vaikuntha. He asked Narada to suggest a place on this earth which would be suitable for diversion and sport. Narada suggested the neighborhood of the place where Seshachala came to be located, later on. Subsequently, Vayu and Sesha disputed their relative strength and entered into a serious dispute. Sesha wound his long body round a part of Meru and challenged Vayu to move it. Vayu did his best to shake the hillock but could not. Ultimately, Sesha opened his mouth to breath and taking advantage of it, Vayu entered his body and blew off part of the hill. After the hill had traveled a long distance, Meru interfered and requested Vayu to leave it there and the latter did so. Ashamed of his defeat, Sesha did penance thinking of Vishnu. Vishnu appeared before him and offered a boon. Sesha, assuming the shape of a hill, requeasted the Lord to stay on his head, wanted the hill to be known as Seshachala. Vishnu thought of Narada's suggestion, made previously and agreed to live on Seshachala. This story is found in the Brahmapurana.

The Bhavishyottarapurana narrates another story which runs as follows: -

Once a number of Rishis assembled on the bank of the Ganga and got things ready for the performance of Yajna. Narada came to them and asked them which god they intended to please by performing the sacrifice. The Rishis ware nonplussed and requested the sage, Bhrigu, to solve the problem. That sage undertook to solve the problem by examining the three chief divinities. He first went to the abode of Brahma and found him busy chanting the Vedas with one mouth, uttering the name of Narayana with another and looking at Goddess Saraswati with the third face. He took no notice of Bhrigu. Then the sage went to the abode of Siva. There again he found Sive fully absorbed in sporting with his consort and not taking notice of Bhrigu's arrival and presence. From here Bhrigu went to Vaikuntha and found Vishnu similarly engaged in amours with Lakshmi. Disgusted with this, Bhrigu kicked Vishnu on his chest. Vishnu immediately got up, massaged the Rishi's foot and enquired if it had been injured. Please with this kind attention paid by Vishnu, Bhrigu returned to the Rishis and advised them to dedicate the yajna to Vishnu. Lakshmi was piqued at the insolent behavour of the rishi because he kicked the spot which was her favorite resort on the bosom of the Lord and she went away to Karavirapura or Kolhapur to stay there, leaving Vishnu. Unable to the separation, Vishnu left Vaikuntha and wandered about. In course of time he came to Seshachala, found it sufficiently interesting and setteled down on the mountain in an ant-hill, on the bank of the Swamipushkarini.