History of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple facts for kids

The Venkateswara Temple is a very important temple located in the hill town of Tirumala, in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It's a special place for followers of Vaishnavism, a branch of Hinduism. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, who is believed to be a form of Vishnu. People believe he came here to help people during tough times. The temple sits high up on Tirumala Hills, which are part of the Seshachalam Hills, and it's built in a beautiful South Indian style.

Temple's Past: Medieval Times

The first recorded gift to the temple was in 966 CE by a queen named Samavai from the Pallava dynasty. She gave many jewels and two pieces of land. The money earned from this land was used to celebrate important festivals at the temple.

Later, powerful groups like the Chola dynasty (in the 10th century) and leaders from the Vijayanagara Empire (in the 14th and 15th centuries) were also very devoted to Lord Venkateswara. The temple became very rich and grew a lot during the Vijayanagara Empire. They donated many diamonds and gold.

In 1517, Emperor Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire visited the temple many times. On one visit, he gave so much gold and jewels that the roof of the inner shrine, called the Ananda Nilayam, could be covered in gold. After the Vijayanagara Empire became weaker, other kingdoms like the Kingdom of Mysore also visited and gave valuable gifts to the temple.

Temple's Past: Modern Times

After the Vijayanagara Empire, the temple was controlled by different groups. It was under Golconda in 1656, then briefly by the French, and later by the Nawab of Carnatic until 1801.

Important Changes (11th to 16th Century)

A very important teacher named Ramanujacharya visited Tirupati three times.

• On his first visit, he spent a year learning about the Ramayana.
• His second visit was to help solve a disagreement between two groups, the Saivites and Vaishnavites, about the main statue in the temple.
• On his last visit, when he was 102 years old, he helped set up the statue of Govindaraja and started the foundations for the town of Tirupati.

Ramanuja also made sure the temple's rituals followed the Vaikanasa Agama tradition. He also started the practice of reciting special prayers called Naalayira Divya Prabandham. In 1119 AD, he set up a special group called the Tirupati Jeeyar Mutt to help manage the temple's services and rituals. To this day, the Jeeyars make sure Ramanuja's rules are followed.

In 1417 AD, a person named Madhavadasa built a special hall called Tirumamani Mandapam, which is in front of the main shrine. In 1535 AD, Pedda Tirumalacharya improved the Temple Tank and the Adivaraha shrine.

British Influence (19th Century)

When the British arrived in the early 1800s, the East India Company took over the temple's management. They gave the temple special importance and tried not to interfere too much with its religious activities. In 1817, the Madras government passed a rule that gave the temple to the Board of Revenue. In 1821, a person named Bruce created rules for how the temple should be managed, which became known as Bruce's Code.

In 1843, the East India Company handed over the temple's management, along with other temples in Tirupati, to the Mahants of Hathiramji Muth. These Mahants acted as managers.

Modern Management (20th Century)

The Mahants managed the temple for six generations until 1933. That year, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) organization was created by a special law called the TTD Act of 1933. This act was later replaced by new laws in 1951 and 1966.

In 1966, the temple came under the direct control of the Andhra Pradesh State Endowments Department. Then, in 1979, a new Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams act was passed. This act put the temple's management in the hands of a committee. This committee included an Executive Officer, a Chairman, and two other members chosen by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Temple Inscriptions

The walls of this temple have many old writings, called inscriptions. These inscriptions are very important for understanding history, culture, and languages. There are over a thousand inscriptions on the temple walls and in other nearby temples. Many early Tamil inscriptions have unfortunately been lost.

About 640 inscriptions are still visible on the temple walls. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has published these inscriptions. Most of them are in Tamil, but some are also in Kannada, Sanskrit, and Telugu.

Many important kingdoms of South India supported this sacred temple. The Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, Kadavarayas, Yadavarayas, Telugu Cholas, Telugu Pallavas, and the Vijayanagara kings (from the Sangama, Saluva, and Tuluva families) all left signs of their support and gifts on the walls of the temples in Tirumala and Tirupati.