The legend of the deities of Tirupati Balaji

Located on the seven hills, amidst the cascading streams of water and the serene setting of peace, Tirupati Balaji is one of the hubs of mysterious events, including the real hair of the deity and an idol that sweats. All of these events are quite intriguing when it comes to the idol's origins. So keep reading to learn about some fascinating tales.

Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Laxmi at Tirupati Balaji temple, Image source- Wikimedia Commons

In the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, nearly six miles northwest of Tirupati, the great Tirumala hill has set its magnificent roots. There stands the sacred temple of Kaliyuga Pratyaksha Daivam, which is known by many names but is indeed the one, Lord Vishnu in the form of Venkateswara. On a daily basis, lakhs of devotees visit the temple, making it one of the most visited and wealthiest temples on the planet.

The mysterious and miraculous idol of Lord Venkateswara is the center of attraction, which draws millions of people every year. The idol stands on the beautiful lotus base wearing precious jewels including the divine diamond crown. The rituals associated with the worship of the deity include six pujas a day according to the “Vaikhanasa Agama'' tradition. Along with these interesting traditions, the story of the origin of the deific idol is fascinating too.

Netizens of the place believe that Lord Vishnu manifested on the earth to bless the people during the harsh Kali-yuga, when people would lose track. But, if we trace back the history of the temple and connect it to mythology, we find another interesting account of Lord Vishnu descending to the lands of Tirumala, which eventually became the temple of Tirupati Balaji.

According to some traditions, Once, Sage Bhrigu went on to test the Trimurtis (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva), but he was terribly offended and irritated by Lord Brahma's and Lord Shiva's ignorance. The furious sage finally moved towards Lord Vishnu to test him and still received the same humiliation. The fire of anger consumed his senses, and he abruptly went near Vishnu and kicked him in his chest. The baffled God chose to stay calm to splinter the sage’s ego. He cunningly smashed his third eye, which was present in his foot and was the source of his power and pride, causing him excruciating pain.

Even though Bhrigu’s ego was shattered, Goddess Laxmi became extremely affected by his actions. As she resides in Vishnu’s chest, this incident was disgraceful and dishonouring for her. Not being able to cope with her agony, she left Vaikuntha (the abode of Vishnu) as well as Vishnu. On the other hand, Vishnu, unable to live without Laxmi, descended on earth as Srinivas to find her.

He continued his search to meet his wife, Laxmi, but soon landed in despair. So he decided to enter into a deep meditative trance inside an anthill. Meanwhile, Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva disguised themselves as calf and cow and poured milk into the anthill to ensure that Lord Vishnu was fed daily. Lord Vishnu finally found out about Goddess Laxmi, who had reincarnated as princess Padmavati, the daughter of Akasharaja. He made his plan to get Padmavati and approached the king to ask for his daughter’s hand, to which the king agreed.

Their marriage was celebrated as an extravagant occasion with great gusto. Srinivas took a large sum of money from the God of wealth, Kuber, to conduct his lavish wedding. After their marriage, they lived on the hills of Tirumala happily, but soon Laxmi came to know about the huge amount of riches taken by Vishnu for their wedding. She burst into anger and confronted him regarding the matter. The clash between both of them resulted in Srinivas turning into stone right there, gaining the form of Venkateswar.

Laxmi felt guilty for her actions and decided to convert herself into a small stature and entered his heart to reside there. She helped him with repaying his loans to Kuber, and even today, the visiting devotees donate money according to their will to contribute to helping God. A temple was built at the place, which emerged as the current Balaji Tirupati temple. The Venkateswar holds Laxmi in his heart and both of them are worshipped with great devotion.

In addition to donations, people also donate their hair before visiting God or after achieving their wish fulfilment. Along with this, Balaji temple is also referred to as one of the eight “Swayambhu Kshetras” of Vishnu, where he manifested on his own, and this may be a reason for the magical and inexplicable occurrences within the idol.

Tirupati temple at Tirumala; Image source-The Financial Express