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Tirupati tourist place, photo by Bhaskaranaidu

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Tirupati

The town of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is famous for its temples. It is the most famous and popular of which is Sri Venkateswara Temple, which sits atop one of the seven peaks of Tirumala Hills. The town is famous for the footfall of pilgrims from around the country as well as the world. It has sheltered centuries-old temples whose architectural splendors have an aura of themselves apart from the aura of their presiding duties.

 Devasthanam is the richest and one of the most revered shrines in India. But, there are so many interesting mystical facts out there beyond the commonly known trivia. Like the fact that the idol of Lord Balaji wears real hair. Or, that the sacred objects for worship are not locally sourced. How about this one – the idol of the 

1. Idol survives strong chemical reaction 

statue in Tirupati, photo by Dimple Bheemani

It is a scientifically known fact that when raw camphor or green camphor (Pachai Karpooram), a derivative of the Cinnamomum camphora tree, is applied to any stone, it leads to cracks and fissures on the object. The idol of Shri Tirupati Balaji, however, is resistant to the volatile chemical reactions of camphor, and bears no marks, even though it remains smeared with the substance most of the time.

2. Secret of an unknown village 

For the ritual worship of the deities housed in the Tirupati Balaji Temple, the flowers, clarified butter, milk, butter-milk, and holly leaves are sourced from an undisclosed village located about twenty-two kilometers away from Tirupati. The little village has never been 

3. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Garden

GARDEN TIRUPATI, photo by Rajaraman Sundaram

The organization that organizes the affairs of Sri Venkateswara Temple is known as the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. It also has a spectacular garden spread over an area of 460 acres adjacent to the main building of the temple. The impressive range of more than 200 varieties of flowers of different colors and shapes blooming across the garden is a sight to behold and appreciate.

The garden also has several tanks and ponds, which are used as a source of water for the locals as well as for the temple. It is one of the popular places to see in Tirupati. The flowers from this garden are used for ornamenting the deity and the temple every day. The garden also supplies flowers to other temples. On average, about 500 kilograms of the flower are supplied from this garden. This garden is one of the popular places 

4. Talakona Waterfall 

With a height of 270-feet, the Talakona Waterfall is the highest waterfall in Andhra Pradesh and one of the best scenic waterfalls in India. The waterfall originates 30 kilometers inside the forest, and to witness the waterfall you need to trek for around 2 kilometers. However, the stress of trekking will go up in thin air when you witness this spectacular waterfall in its natural ensemble.

During the rainy season, it radiates a wonderful aura. The irresistible and cascading beauty engulfs most of its stony base during the rainy season and falls down on the stony bed with continuous chatter. The crystal clear and cold water may lure your senses into an enjoyable boat ride. You may also go for a walk on the canopy rope if you love adventure.

5.  Has a Deer park

Deer Park Tirupati, photo by Titodutta

This is a natural park maintained by TTD, i.e. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. The garden features much more than just deers and is one of the popular tourist attractions of Tirupati. Deer Park boasts a huge range of flora and fauna including deer. There are a large number and variety of deer in the park, but the enclosures are fenced. Nobody is allowed inside the enclosures.

The deer park itself is immersed and surrounded by nature with all its elegance. Here you can enjoy not only the sight of different types of deer but also a veritable piece of nature in full flow. This is why the deer park is one of the most popular and attractive places to see in Tirupati. This is one 

6. Srikalahasti 

Srikalahasti May 2018 

This place has more historical and religious significance than many other places in the temple town of Tirupati. In fact, Srikalahasti itself is a temple town, but the temples here are dedicated to Lord Shiva. At a distance of about 38 kilometers from Tirupati, you can find this very ancient temple town.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it dates back to ancient times. The temple is also said to be associated with Rahu and Ketu, two fearsome celestial bodies in the realm of the Indian astrological scheme of things. The religious significance of this place accrues from its other name – Dakshina Kailasam, meaning Kailash of the South.

The Kailash Mountain being the abode of Lord Shiva is a revered place for Hindus. People take great pains and undertake arduous treks to reach the Kailash Peak in the Himalayas. You can surely draw a parallel between the significance of this place for Hindus and the name of this temple, the namesake of the abode of Lord Shiva.

This is the reason why it is one of the top tourist attractions of Tirupati. There are many mythological stories that explain the name given to it. Book a hotel in Tirupati to visit this place

7. Lord Balaji’s Idol Maintains 110 Degree F Temperature Always 

Tirumala Tirupati temple is located at the height of 3200 feet, and the surroundings are cool. Irrespective of this fact, the idol of Lord Balaji remains at a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Every morning, after the bath ritual, droplets of sweat appear on the idol of Lord Balaji. On Thursdays, when the priests remove the ornaments of the idol for a holy bath, it is said that they come off with a sensation of warmth. 

8. Perpetual lit lamps  

The light of an ardent devotee’s heart for the Divine never gets extinguished, and so do the earthen lamps placed before the idol of the deity in the sanctum sanctorum of the Tirupati Balaji Temple. There are no reliable records about the time when these lamps were lit and who lit them. All that is known is that they have been burning for a long time and will continue to do so 

9. It is the most visited place of worship in the world

Tirupati ISKCON Temple, Photo by Raji

Visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily; while on special occasions and festivals like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000 and more, making it the most-visited holy place in the world. 

10. Tirupathi laddu has a GI Patent

That makes it arguably the first offering at a place of worship anywhere in the world to be recognized as an intellectual property (IP)—in this case, of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), a trust that manages the temple at Tirupati. The GI status is granted to identify a product as having a specific provenance, and with a certain quality or reputation associated with that origin. Kashmir pashmina, Darjeeling tea, and Kancheepuram silk have all been granted GIs.