Little Tirupati Archives

23/Sep/2022

Location

Venkateswara Temple is a Vaishnava temple located in the city of Dwarka Tirumala in the West Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Dwarka Tirumala Temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu. The temple is also known by other names such as Chinna Tirupati which means Little Tirupati.

Dwarka Tirumala is an ancient holy place and a famous center of pilgrimage in Andhra Pradesh, South India. Dwarka Tirumala is close to ‘Elluru’, the headquarters of West Godavari district, which is 42 km from Eluru. This temple is at a distance of 15KM from Bhimadolu Junction.

Dwarka Tirumala History

This shrine called “Dwarka Tirumala”, after the great saint, “Dwaraka”, who found the self-manifested idol of Lord “Sri Venkateswara” after extreme penance at ‘Valmikam’ (ant hill). The devotees call Sri Venkateswara Vaikuntha Vasa Kaliyuga. Also, this place called “Chinna Tirupati”.

According to scriptures, North Indian rivers like Ganga and Yamuna are considered more and more holy as they go to the origin and South Indian rivers like Krishna and Godavari are more and more holy as they flow from the mouth of the river to the sea. Therefore, at close intervals, there are many pilgrimages and holy bathing ghats on both banks of the Krishna and Godavari rivers in their lower regions.

As the Brahma Purana points out, the area protected by our Dwarka Tirumala commands the top-most conspicuous place in India, garlanded by these two great Indian rivers, the Krishna and the Godavari.

Significance of Dwarka Tirumala Temple

Devotees who wish to offer their prasad, or mundan, or any other offering to Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala Tirupati, known as “Peda Tirupati”, for some reason, if they can’t get there, can make their gifts, pray and worship at the temple at Dwaraka Tirumala.

Dwarka Tirumala is an ancient temple of great repute. According to some Puranas, the Dwarka Tirumala temple is famous even in Krita Yuga and still attracts devotees. According to the Brahma Purana, Aja Maharaja, Lord Sri Rama’s grandfather also worshiped Lord Venkateswara for his marriage. He was on his way from the temple on the way to Indumati’s ‘Swayamvaram’.

Aja Maharaja did not worship in the temple and was garlanded by the bride Indumati, but he had to face a battle with the kings who had come to Swayamvaram. He knew that the battle of losing the temple on the way was imposed on him. The Aja Maharaja, knowing this, prayed to Lord Venkateswara. The war was suddenly stopped by the kings.

The Temple

It is a great surprise to have two major sculptures under one Vimana Shikhar. An idol is a complete idol and the other is half an idol of the upper part of the Lord’s body. The upper part of the figure a Swayambhu idol “Dwarka” found by the sage. The old sages believed that the Lord’s prayer is not complete without worshiping His holy feet. Thus, the saints unitedly installed a complete idol behind the self-manifested idol to worship the feet of the Lord as per the Vaikhanasa Agama.

The prayer of the smaller figure of the Lord believed to lead to salvation, and the larger form is for Dharma, Artha, and the Kama. Thiru Kalyanotsavam celebrated twice a year. One for the self-manifested idol in the month “Vaisakh”, and the other for the equestrian idol in the month “Ashwayuz”.

The most exhilarating and enchanting feeling is upon entering the sanctum sanctorum. The presiding mythological deity Lord Venkateswara appears up to head height, and it believed that the lower part is on the earth. In “Patala”, the holy feet offered to Bali Chakravarti for his daily worship.

The full-sized Lord Sri Venkateswara idol standing behind the main temple installed by the great social reformer of the 11th century, Srimad. Ramanuja. The idols of Padmavati and Nanchari installed towards the Ardha mandapa in the east. It is a temple that completely designed to be a divine place.

Festivals

‘Thiru Kalyanodsavam’ the main festival celebrated at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Vari Devasthanam or Dwaraka Tirumala Temple. The festival of Swayambhu Vigraha (small idol) celebrated in the month of ‘Vaisak’ while for the installed idol it celebrated in the month of Aswayuja’ which may be April-May and September- October every year respectively. Giripradakshina (January), Swami Vari Vaisaka Kalyanam and Radhodsavam (Car Festival) (April-May), Pavitarotsavam (September), Swami Vari Asvayuja Kalyanam and Radhodasvam (Car Festival) (September-October), Teppotsavam/ Boat Festival in Nrusimha Sagar Tank (November) the other major festivals celebrated in the temple.