Body: Tirupati is a major pilgrimage centre of south India. It is known for its rich cultural heritage and ethnic roots. It is also one of the richest pilgrimages sites of any faith in the entire world and has the second richest hindu temple in the world. The nearest airport to Tirupati is Renigunta airport or Tirupati airport.




During 5th century A.D., the town has been a major centre of Vaishnavism while later on, the town has also survived numerous invasions from Muslim and British invasions. As a matter of fact, the main deity of Sri Ranganathaswamy temple was brought here for safekeeping from Srirangam. The Tirumala Venkateswara temple has been upgraded and maintained by several generations of various kingdoms. In 1932, Madras state legislature passed an act that bestowed the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam committee the powers of control and administration over the temple maintenance. The temple is situated atop the Venkatadri hill, which is one of the seven peaks of the hill of Tirumala.

The temple has a religious significance among hindus and it is widely believed that any devotee who visits here with selfless devotion and doubtless belief will have all his desires and wishes fulfilled soon. The majority of inscriptions on the temple are in Tamil. The architecture of the temple includes a vimanam or the inner temple, Bangaru Vakili or the entrance passage, and the Garbha Griham or the sanctum sanctorum. Ramanuja was the main architect of this temple and his shrine has also been built near the main temple as he was also the father of the Sri Vaishnava community.




The town celebrates a lot of festivals, majority of which include Rama Navami, Vaikuntha Ekadashi and Janmashtami with splendour. The most important festival of Tirumala is the Brahmotsavam. It is celebrated annually in the month of September and it receives a large number of devotees during the week in which it is celebrated. The town mainly celebrates Vaishnava festivals and other festivals celebrated here include Rathasapthami and Vasanthotsavam.

Being primarily known for its holy significance, you can find religious souvenirs here such as religious paintings, devotional CDs and other such items. You can shop at the shops near Tirumala Tirupati temple complex and a bunch of other temples in here. Tirupati is also famous for its local handicrafts and artifacts such as lamps, pots and other pottery items. Tirupati is also known for Kalamkari art in which hindu Gods and Goddesses are carved in form of unique wood carvings. You can also find a number of shops selling traditional wooden toys. For those willing to splurge on art work, beautiful Tanjore paintings made of gold are quite popular in this region. Besides all of this, the city offers a large number of items such as brass sculptures and copper statues of hindu Gods and Goddesses in a huge range of colours and visualisations.




So whether you are a devoted pilgrim visiting Tirupati or a curious traveller, all you need to do is just hop on board for the memories of a lifetime. You can check out this Tirupati hotels list to pick a suitable hotel for your stay here.