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The Vimana
Pradakshinam is the commonly-used circumambulatory
pathway around the central shrine. The vimana over the sanctum can be seen from this pathway.
Pilgrims
who have taken a vow of performing Angapradakshinam
perform it in the Vimana Pradakshinam. |
The first view of
the Lord can be obtained from the Tirumamani Mandapam. It was built by
Mallanna or Madhavadasa, who was the Chief of Chandragiri in the fifteenth
century. The Mandapam is supported by sixteen carved pillars, which introduce
a natural division of the area into three aisles.
The
Mandapam serves as an Asthana Mandapam, where Koluvu Srinivasa holds court
after the Thomala Seva in the sanctum, listens to the reading of the almanac,
and presides over the giving of daily rations of rice. The recitation of
Suprabhatam also takes place here.
There
are two massive, inscribed bells, which are known as Tirumani or
Tirumahamani, which give the Mandapam its name. It is said that these bells
were used during the Naivedyam in the sanctum.
On
the eastern side of the Mandapam is a small shrine dedicated to
Garuda. On the northern side is a gangala or large brass vessel
covered with a sacred fabric, for depositing all votive offerings.
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The sub-temple for Sri Yoga
Narasimhaswami, facing the west, is located in a mandapam in the
north-eastern corner of the first prakaram. Yoga Narasimhaswami is
also known as Girija Narasimhaswami.
The
idol of Yoga Narasimhaswami is sculptured according to the Sastras. He is
seated with two hands on his knees, and girdled by the Yogapatta.
A
ceremonial bath (Tiru-Manjana) is given to the idol in the sanctum on
Saturdays; and on the fourteenth day of the bright half of the month of
Vaisakha (according to the lunar calendar),Swati Nakshathram the idol
is specially worshipped on account of Narasimha Jayanti.
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Sri Vishvaksena
Temple is located at the northern side of the main temple, in the Mukkoti
Pradakshinam.
Sri
Vishwaksena occupies an important place in the Vaikhanasa Agama. In
Vaishnavite functions and temple rituals, Sri Vishwaksena is worshipped
first. Vishwaksena is said to be the chief of the army (of the Lord) and is
believed to protect the function or ritual from evil.
The
idol has four hands - the upper two holding a sankha and chakra,
the right lower in Avgana hastam, and the left lower on the hip i.e. Gada
hastam. The idol of Vishwaksena and its worship are strictly in
accordance with the Vaikhanasa Agama.
During
the daily worship of Lord Venkateswara, the garlands and flowers (called nirmalya)
from the Lord's idol are removed and Vishwaksena is worshipped with them.
Before
commencement of the annual Brahmotsavam, the Senadhipathi or Vishvaksena
Utsava is performed followed by Ankurarpana. According to popular belief,
Vishvaksena provides clearance for the function to start and looks after the
arrangements for the festival. His idol is also taken out in a procession
during the Adhyayanotsavam
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The shrine of Sri Varadarajaswami is
an independent shrine located on the eastern side of the vimana.
The
idol of Sri Varadarajaswami faces the West and is in a standing posture, with
a disc and conch in the upper right and left hands respectively. The lower
right hand is in the Abhaya pose and the lower left, in the Katyavalambika
pose.
The
name Varadaraja is given to this form of Sri Maha Vishnu as he is believed to
be the giver of boons.
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Adjacent to the Sangeeta Bhandara in
the northern corridor of the Vimana Pradakshinam is the shrine of Sri
Ramanuja, the great Vaishnava Acharya. It is also called the Bhashyakara
Sannidhi.
Ramanuja
was the architect of Tirupati and the father of the Sri Vaishnava community
there. He designed the Nandanavanams or flower gardens of the temple. He was
mainly responsible for managing the worship procedures and other affairs of
the Sri Venkateswara temple.
The
shrine was built around the 13th century. It overlooks the western end of the
Tirumamani Mandapam. The Pandyan emblem of two fish and a hook is carved on
the wall next to the entrance.
The
right hand of the stone image of Ramanuja is held in the gesture of
exposition (vyakhyana mudra), and the left hand in the form of boon
bestowal (varada hasta), or of holding a book (pustaka hasta).
The
shrine figures prominently during the festival of Adhyayanotsavam, which is a
typical Pancharatra observance. Special worship is conducted in this shrine
during Gandhapodi Utsavam and Bhashyakara Utsavam. The utsava murthi of
Ramanuja is taken in a grand procession to meet Malayappa near the Padi
Kavali
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The Snapana
Mandapam is also called the Tiruvilankovil. It has four central pillars,
which bear sculptures like those of Bala Krishna, Yoga Narasimha and
Kaliayamardhana.
A
particularly impressive sculpture in bas relief is that of Sri Maha Vishnu in
the seated pose. He is shown with four arms; the upper arms holding the chakra
and the shankha.
The
Lord's consorts are also shown seated in Sukhasana on either side of him.
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The Sayana
Mandapam, also called the Ardha Mandapam, is directly in front of the sanctum
(in accordance with the Agamas). This is as close to the sanctum that the
pilgrims can get. The Mandapam is connected to the sanctum by the threshold
called Kulasekhara-padi, after an Alwar who wished to be reborn as the
threshold to the Lord's shrine.
The
main function of this Mandapam is to facilitate the performance of rituals
that cannot be accommodated in the sanctum.
The
Mandapam is so called because it is here that the representative icon of the
Lord (Bhoga Srinivasa) is ceremoniously put to bed as the last sequence
(Sayanotsava or Ekanta Seva) of daily worship.
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Adjoining the porch of Bhashyakara
Sannidhi on its western side, is a small room called Talapakamara or
Sankeertana Bhandara. It was constructed to preserve the collection of sankeertanas
composed by the Talapaka poets (Talapaka Annamacharya, his son Pedda
Tirumalacharya and grandson Chinna Tirumalacharya), who were minstrels
attached to the hill shrine.
Annamacharya,
the greatest of the three poets, came to the hill shrine in 1424 AD and
served the Lord by rendering songs that he had composed, during some
sequences of worship. He was a senior contemporary of Purandara Dasa, and his
songs mark a significant stage in the evolution of South Indian music.
His
songs can be classified into three groups - Adhyatama Sankeertanam, Sringara
Sankeertanam and Srungara Manjari.
The
songs were preserved in the Talapakamara for more than four hundred years,
before they were transferred to the TTD office in Tirupati for the
preparation of transcripts for publication during the days of the last
Mahant, Prayaga Das, at the instance of the TTD epigraphist, Sri Sadhu
Subramania Sastry.
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The path for
circumambulating the temple is called a pradakshinam.
The main temple has three prakarams. Between the outermost and middle prakarams is the second pathway for circumambulation known as the Sampangi Pradakshinam. Currently, this pathway is closed to pilgrims. The Sampangi Pradakshinam contains several interesting mandapams like the Pratima Mandapam, Ranga Mandapam, Tirumala Raya Mandapam, Saluva Narasimha Mandapam, Aina Mahal and Dhvajasthambha Mandapam. |
Ranga Mandapam, also called the
Ranganayakula Mandapam,
is located in the south-eastern
corner of the Sampangi
Pradakshinam. The shrine within
it is believed to be the place
where the utsava murti of Lord Ranganadha of Srirangam
was kept during the 14th
century, when Srirangam was occupied
by Muslim rulers.It is said to have been constructed between 1320
and
1360AD by the Yadava ruler Sri Ranganadha Yadava Raya.
It isconstructed
according to the Vijayanagara style of
architecture. |
In front of the Potu is a well called the Bangaru Bavi
The site of the Bangaru Bavi is as
directed in the Vaikhanasa Agamas, and it is constructed according to the
Vijayanagara style of architecture
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