THE 7 HILLS & THE GRAND DESCENT

Tirumalai Prabhavam

Part 2 of history of Tirumala Tirupati Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple

The Seven Hills

Adi Sesha too was filled with eagerness to continue serving Bhagavan. Just as he had accompanied Bhagavan during His previous avataras, like Rama and Krishna, Adi Sesha descended to the earth during this archavatara as well. Out of his deep devotion and desire to serve Bhagavan, he manifested himself as the seven Seshachalam hills that together form the sacred region of Tirumala, so Bhagavan could reside on him, just as Bhagavan reclines upon him in Ksheerabdi.

These seven hills of Tirumala are all associated with divine events and beings. They are:

Seshadri - Named after Adi Sesha himself.

Vrishabadri - Named so after Bhagavan killed Vrishabhasura to protect the many sages in that hill.

Narayanadri - Named after Narayana Muni who was blessed with Bhagavan’s darshan on that hill, and was guided by Him to follow the Vaikanasa method of worship.

Anjanadri - Named for the birthplace of Anjaneya (Hanumanji).

Venkatadri - Named so because it burns all our sins, including our ‘tendency’ to sin.

Garudadri - Named so after Garuda rested here while carrying the pot of amruta (the divine nectar).

Simhadri - Named for being associated with Lord Narasimha.

The Grand Descent

Bhagavan then prepared to descend from Ksheerabdi to the earth. Though Bhagavan could have appeared instantly in Tirumala, He chose to descend in a grand procession so that devotees could witness His arrival and rejoice.

Adi Sesha became the umbrella above Him. Nanda and Sunanda fanned Him. Brahma recited the Vedas. Surya performed the mangala arati. And Vayu spread the fragrance of sandalwood from the forests of the hills. Bhagavan rode in a divine chariot driven by Garuda while Rudra played the drums.

Sri Devi, the embodiment of compassion, and Bhoo Devi, the embodiment of forbearance, adorned the chest of Bhagavan so that their compassionate glance would fall upon all beings who came for His darshan. Bhagavan chose to reside on the divine hills so that both the devas (from above) and humans (from below) could obtain His darshan and receive His grace.

The Archavatara

Now that Bhagavan’s sAnidhya (His divine presence) had spread in the region, He chose the right time to reveal Himself on earth. A Chola king once met a celestial lady from Nagaloka and married her; their son was Thondaimaan. When he grew up, he was given a region near Tirupati to rule, which later came to be known as Thondaimandalam.

During his reign, cowherds noticed that whenever they carried pots of milk through the forest, the pots mysteriously broke near a certain anthill and the milk spilled upon it. At the same time, farmers reported that a wild boar had eaten the first harvest meant to be offered to the Lord and had run into the same anthill.

As he mulled over these puzzling incidents, the king had a dream in which Bhagavan appeared and instructed him to perform abhisheka (pour milk) to the anthill. As the king poured milk over it, the anthill slowly dissolved, first revealing a shalagrama of Varaha Bhagavan. As the abhisheka continued, the beautiful, majestic archavatara of Sri Srinivasa Perumal emerged.

Those present were filled with awe at the sight. Bhagavan blessed Thondaimaan and promised to remain his friend. He instructed the king to build a temple at that place. Thondaimaan built the temple that is now known as the Tirumala temple. Bhagavan made it His abode, and from there, continues to bless all devotees who seek refuge at His lotus feet.

This Tirupati Srinivasa Perumal (Lord Venkateshwara) has been sung and worshipped by innumerable great devotees, beginning with the Azhwars to Sri Annamacharya, Sri Purandara Dasa, and several others, right up to Sri Sri Anna and our own Sri Swamiji, who all share a common spirit of sharaNAgati (surrender) at the lotus feet of Sri Srinivasa Perumal.

INSET IN A BOX

The Tirupati Balaji Temple (Venkateshwara Temple) is located in Tirumala, a town in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It sits on the seventh peak of the Seshachalam Hills, known as Venkatadri. Here Sri Venkateshwara Perumal stands in an upright posture facing east.

The Sri Padmavati Ammavari Temple in Tiruchanoor or Alamelu Mangapuram is known as ‘Keezh Tirupati’ (Downhill Tirupati) and is situated in the plains below the Tirumala hills, about 5 km from Tirupati. It is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi as Padmavati (also known as Alamelu Mangai) who appeared here on a golden lotus. She performed penance here for 12 years, after which she married Lord Venkateshwara.

Pilgrims traditionally visit this temple to seek blessings before or after visiting the Tirumala temple.