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Situated in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, the Tirupati Balaji temple is one of the most prominent temples in India. Every year lakhs of visitors from around India visit the temple to seek blessings from the almighty. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, who appeared on earth to save mankind from kali yuga. Did you know that some devotees also shave their heads especially while visiting the temple? Read this blog to discover more such astonishing facts about Tirupati Balaji temple.
Amazing Fun Facts About Tirupati Balaji Temple
1. Tirupati Balaji is the richest temple in India. It is also the most visited temple in India.
2. The structure of this temple was constructed around 300 AD.
3. Tirupati Balaji temple highlights the Dravidian style of architecture. It is mainly done using granite, soapstones, and sandstone.
4. Devotees seek blessings from Lord Balaji and make offerings such as cash, gold, silver, and jewellery.
5. Things used to worship deities in the Tirupati Balaji temple like flowers, milk, and butter are sourced from a hidden village. It is located somewhere around twenty-two kilometres away from the temple.
6. The hair worn by Lord Balaji in the Tirupati Balaji is actually real. According to a legend, Lord Balaji lost some of his hair during his reign on earth. Gandharvan princess cut her own hair and offered it to the deity. Pleased with her devotion, god accepted her offering and promised that whoever visited his temple would be blessed.
7. There is a years-old tradition among devotees to shave their heads before visiting the temple. This is done in order to please the lord to fulfil their desires.
8. Lord Balaji’s idol is carved out of a stone. It is believed that the idol maintains a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit even if the surroundings are cool.
9. The idol appears to be standing in the middle of the sanctum from the outside. However, it is actually placed slightly towards the right-hand corner of the Garba Griha.
10. The lamp lit before the idol has been lit for thousands of years. Nobody really knows when it was lit for the first time.
11. The prasad offered in Tirupati Balaji is a registered Geographical Indicator (GI). This means that it can be prepared and sold at the temple only.
12. The deity is worshipped six times a day, according to the rules of the Vaikhanasa traditions.
13. According to Hinduism, there are eight Vishnu Swayambhu Kshetras and Tirupati Balaji is one of them.
14. The temple contains about 1180 engravings out of which 139 belong to the Kondoi Veedu ruling period, 229 to King Krishna Deva Rayar, 147 to Sadasiva Rayar, 169 to Chalukya Kings, 236 to the Chola period, and 25 to Achchuthan Rayar period.
15. The upper body of the idol is covered using a saree and the lower body using a dhoti.
16. According to the priests of the temple, the idol is decorated with white wood paste every Thursday during a ritual called Nija Roopa Darshanam. After the paste is removed, one can see the imprint of Goddess Lakshmi in the heart.
FAQs
One special interesting fact about Tirupati Balaji temple is that devotees offer generous amounts of cash, jewellery, and gold to the almighty.
Many devotees shave their heads at Tirupati Balaji to make an offering and show their devotion towards the god.
It is believed that Lord Vishnu manifested himself as Tirupati Balaji to save mankind from the kali yuga and direct them towards salvation.
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