Tirupati Balaji is one of the sacred Hindu Temple in the state of Andhra Pradesh, dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara. The Peak on which the temple is situated is called Venkatachalam. The Tirupati Balaji temple is the richest temple not only in India but around the Globe.

History of Tirupati Temple:

There is no document proving what the exact age of Tirupati Temple is. One thing that can be said with certainty is that its was built before 500 A.D as there are references found on the temple in literature as old as 500 A.D. It was only in the 12th century that the deity of the temple was identified as Lord Vishnu by great scholar Ramanujam. All the rulers who ruled Andhra Pradesh donated huge amount of gold to the temple helping it become as wealthy as it is today.

Legend Behind the temple:

Lord Venkateshwara or Balaji is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself. It is believed that he came to reside on the southern bank of Swami Pushkarni, a tank which passes by Tirumala.

The seven hills around Tirumala-Tirupati are also known as Sapthagiri after the seven hoods of Sheshnag - the cosmic serpent. The temple of Sri Venkateshwara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatadri and it is also known as The Temple of Seven Hills.

Festivals: The temple celebrates most Vaishnava festivals including Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and Janmashtami with great zeal, while Bhramotsavam celebrated in the month of September is the most Festival in Tirumala. The most important days of this festival are the fifth and ninth days as Garudostavam and Rathotsavam take place during this period.

Food: This section is especially for people who love food. Tirupati is famous for lots of sweets, specially the exotic "Laddu" distributed as Prasad in the Temple.Sheemal is also a very popular sweet, it's more like a Pastry. Even today Food is served on traditional banana leaves while you will be seated in long queues. Eating food at Tirupati temple is considered very auspicious.The restaurant in Tirupati serves pure vegetarian south Indian food. Andhra Pradesh being famous for its spices and aromatic cuisine, Cardamom, curry leaves, chile peppers, cinnamon, mustard seeds, peanuts and coconut milk are some of the common ingredients in the food of Andhra Pradesh.

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