Tirupati Balaji · The Lord of the Seven Hills
Venkateswara
Lord Venkateswara is Lord Vishnu on the seven hills of Tirumala, standing there to be near his devotees in this age. Wake him at dawn with the Suprabhatam, keep his Saturdays, and see when his days fall in your city.
- His day
- Saturday
- Next: Sat 7 Nov
- Next Venkateswara day
- Ekadashi
- In 4 days · Thu 5 Nov
Hill 7 of 7 · The hill that burns away sin
Venkatadri
The hill where the temple stands, and the one that gives him his name. “Ven” is said to mean sin and “kata” to burn away, so Venkata is the hill that destroys sin. By tradition he has stood here, by the Swami Pushkarini tank, since the Kali Yuga began.
About Venkateswara →Hill 1 of 7 · The hill of Adisesha, the serpent
Seshadri
Named after Adisesha, the serpent on whom Lord Vishnu rests. By tradition Adisesha and Vayu, the wind, once tested their strength: Adisesha held fast round a peak of Mount Meru while Vayu blew, until part of it was carried south. Adisesha came to rest as this range, and some tellings say his hood is at Tirumala and his tail at Srisailam.
Hill 2 of 7 · The hill of Neela Devi
Neeladri
Named after Neela Devi. It is said that a cowherd’s blow once left a bare patch on the Lord’s head, and she cut a lock of her own hair and laid it there. Moved, he promised that the hair his devotees offer would be hers, and this is told as the root of the hair offering at Tirumala.
Hill 3 of 7 · The hill of Garuda, his eagle
Garudadri
Named after Garuda, the eagle who carries Lord Vishnu. By tradition Garuda brought this hill down from Vaikuntha at the Lord’s word, so that he would have a place to stay on earth; another telling says Garuda did penance here to see him.
Hill 4 of 7 · The hill of Anjana, mother of Lord Hanuman
Anjanadri
Named after Anjana Devi, who by tradition prayed here for a son and was blessed with Lord Hanuman. In 2021 a committee of TTD named Anjanadri as Hanuman’s birthplace; other places, such as Kishkindha near Hampi in Karnataka, hold the same belief about their own hills.
Hill 5 of 7 · The hill of Vrishabhasura
Vrushabhadri
Named after Vrishabhasura, a demon who worshipped Lord Shiva and fought the Lord on this hill, by tradition. As he fell, the story goes, he asked that the hill should carry his name, and his wish was granted. The Suprabhatam calls the Lord Vrishachalapati, Lord of the Vrisha hill.
Hill 6 of 7 · The hill of Narayana
Narayanadri
Named after Narayana. By tradition this is where the Lord first set foot when he came down from Vaikuntha, and his footprints, the Srivari Padalu, are worshipped on the hill. Some tellings say the sage Narayana did penance here.
Tap a hill, or its name, to read the story behind it. They run in the usual order, from Seshadri to Venkatadri, where the temple stands under the rising sun. The names follow the usual list, from Seshadri to Venkatadri, where the temple stands. The stories are traditions, and the tellings differ.
His days, in your city
Dates and puja times for the city you pick
For New Delhi
Every Ekadashi is kept for him as Lord Vishnu’s fast.
- Every Saturday
- Sat 7 NovHis day of the week
- Deepavali Asthanam
- Sun 8 Nov
- Pournami Garuda Seva
- Tue 24 Nov
- Vaikuntha Ekadashi
- Sun 20 DecParana 21 Dec, 7:09 am to 9:13 am
- Ugadi
- Wed 7 Apr
Wake him with the Suprabhatam
कौसल्या सुप्रजा राम पूर्वा सन्ध्या प्रवर्तते ।
उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्दूल कर्तव्यं दैवमाह्निकम् ॥
Kausalya supraja Rama purva sandhya pravartate,
Uttishtha narashardula kartavyam daivam ahnikam.
Rama, fine son of Kausalya, dawn is breaking in the east. Rise, tiger among men: the sacred duties of the day are waiting for you.
हे कौसल्या के श्रेष्ठ पुत्र राम! पूर्व दिशा में भोर हो रही है। हे पुरुषों में सिंह के समान वीर, उठिए: दिन के पवित्र कर्म आपकी राह देख रहे हैं।
Sung before dawn at the golden door of the sanctum at Tirumala, and in homes everywhere: the Suprabhatam, then the Stotram, the Prapatti and the Mangalashasanam, 70 verses composed by Prativadi Bhayankaram Annan in the 15th century.
Read the whole SuprabhatamHis prayers
- Venkatesa SuprabhatamThe dawn hymn of Tirumala, 70 verses in four partsRead
- Govinda NamaluHis names, sung with the call “Govinda, Govinda”Soon
- 108 names of VenkateswaraFor japa with a malaSoon
- Songs of AnnamacharyaThe 15th-century poet of Tallapaka, who sang to him in TeluguSoon
A simple Saturday puja
Lord Venkateswara is worshipped on Saturdays, many beginning at dawn with the Suprabhatam. At home a short and calm puja is enough. Follow your family’s way where it differs.
- Bathe early and clean the place of worship.
- Place his image or picture, and light a ghee lamp before it.
- Offer tulasi leaves and flowers, and apply a little sandal paste or kumkum.
- Recite the Suprabhatam, or chant Om Namo Venkatesaya 108 times.
- Offer sweet pongal, curd rice or fruit as naivedyam.
- Wave camphor in aarti, bow, and share the prasadam.
What you need
- His image or picture
- A ghee lamp and camphor
- Tulasi leaves and flowers
- Sandal paste or kumkum
- Sweet pongal, curd rice or fruit
Who is Venkateswara
Lord Venkateswara, also called Srinivasa, Balaji and Govinda, is Lord Vishnu as he stands on Venkatadri, the seventh of the seven hills of Tirumala, above the town of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. By tradition he came to these hills in the Kali Yuga to be close to his devotees, and many call him Kaliyuga Pratyaksha Daivam, the god who can be seen in this age.
His image at Tirumala stands with four arms. The upper hands hold the conch and the discus; the lower right hand points down to his feet, which devotees read as offering them as the refuge, and the lower left rests on his hip, to show that for those who hold to him the ocean of birth and death is only that deep. Goddess Lakshmi lives on his chest, which is why he is Srinivasa, and a broad white namam covers his forehead.
Each day at Tirumala begins before dawn with the Suprabhatam sung at the golden door and ends with the Ekanta Seva at night. Millions come each year; many offer their hair, and every pilgrim takes home the Tirupati laddu. His great festival is the nine-day Brahmotsavam, held each September or October, and Vaikuntha Ekadashi, in December or January, draws the largest crowds of the year.
- Srinivasa in whom Sri, Goddess Lakshmi, lives
- Balaji as most of North India knows him
- Govinda the name pilgrims call on the hills
- Venkatachalapati lord of the Venkata hill
- Saptagirisha lord of the seven hills, Yedukondalavadu in Telugu
- Malayappa Swami his festival image at Tirumala
ॐ नमो वेङ्कटेशाय
Om Namo Venkatesaya
I bow to Venkatesha, the Lord of Venkata. Pilgrims call it on the climb and in the queues, and many chant it 108 times.
वेंकट पर्वत के स्वामी वेंकटेश को मेरा नमन। यात्री चढ़ाई में और कतारों में यही पुकारते हैं, और कई लोग इसे 108 बार जपते हैं।
श्रियः कान्ताय कल्याणनिधये निधयेऽर्थिनां ।
श्रीवेङ्कटनिवासाय श्रीनिवासाय मङ्गलम् ॥
Shriyah kantaya kalyana nidhaye nidhayerthinam,
Shri venkata nivasaya shrinivasaya mangalam.
All glory to Srinivasa, who lives on Venkata: the beloved of Sri, the treasure of all that is good, and a treasure for all who ask of him.
श्री लक्ष्मी जी के प्रिय, कल्याण के भंडार, माँगने वालों के लिए खज़ाने के समान, वेंकट पर्वत पर रहने वाले श्रीनिवास का मंगल हो।
At Tirumala
The customs pilgrims keep
The temple on Venkatadri is run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), a trust set up under the law of Andhra Pradesh. These are the customs most pilgrims keep, as the temple and tradition describe them.
The hair offering
Men, women and children have their heads shaved at the Kalyana Katta halls as a vow, giving up pride with their hair. Tradition ties the custom to Neela Devi, who is said to have given her own hair to the Lord.
The laddu prasadam
The Tirupati laddu, made in the temple kitchen from gram flour, ghee, sugar, cashews, raisins and cardamom, is first offered to him and then given to pilgrims. It holds a Geographical Indication tag of its own.
Darshan and the queues
Pilgrims wait for darshan in long queues through the Vaikuntham Queue Complex, for the free sarva darshan or a booked special entry darshan. Waits change from day to day and are longest at weekends, on holidays and at festivals.
The climb on foot
Many walk up the hills by the Alipiri footpath or the shorter Srivari Mettu, thousands of steps, chanting “Govinda”. Some touch each step with turmeric and kumkum as they climb.
Book darshan, sevas and rooms only through TTD’s own website, app and counters, and check its timings and rules before you set out. This page gives no live timings.
What his symbols mean
The seven hills
Saptagiri: Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri, said to be the coils of Adisesha, with the temple on the last.
The hand that points to his feet
The varada hand: his feet are the refuge, as the Prapatti says verse after verse.
The hand on his hip
For those who hold to him, the ocean of birth and death is only waist-deep.
The broad namam
The white mark of the Sri Vaishnavas, worn large on his forehead; tradition says it softens his gaze, too strong for devotees to bear.
Lakshmi on his chest
She never leaves him: he is Srinivasa, the one in whom Sri lives.
The hundi
The offering box where pilgrims leave their gifts, which tradition ties to his wedding loan from Lord Kubera.
His stories
Across India
Andhra Pradesh
Tirumala above Tirupati, with Padmavati’s temple at Tiruchanur, the Govindaraja temple in the town below, and Dwaraka Tirumala near Eluru, called Chinna Tirupati, the little Tirupati.
Telangana
At Chilkur near Hyderabad, the Balaji temple keeps no hundi and takes no money; devotees walk round it eleven times with a wish, and 108 times when it is granted.
Tamil Nadu
The Saturdays of the month of Purattasi, September to October, are kept for him: families fast, light a lamp of rice flour and jaggery, the maavilakku, and crowd the Perumal temples.
Karnataka and Maharashtra
Saturdays and the Brahmotsavam are kept in his temples, and many families make the journey to Tirumala together after a vow. Near Pune, the Balaji temple at Ketkawale is built after the temple at Tirumala.
Abroad
Temples to Sri Venkateswara stand in Pittsburgh in the United States, near Birmingham in the United Kingdom and near Sydney in Australia, and keep the Suprabhatam and the Brahmotsavam.
His temples
- Tirumala Venkateswara TempleTirumala, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
- Sri Padmavathi Ammavari TempleTiruchanur, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
- Sri Govindaraja Swamy TempleTirupati, Andhra Pradesh
- Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy TempleSrinivasa Mangapuram, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
- Dwaraka Tirumala Venkateswara TempleDwaraka Tirumala, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh
- Chilkur Balaji TempleChilkur, Ranga Reddy, Telangana
- Balaji Temple, KetkawaleKetkawale, Pune, Maharashtra
- Sri Venkateswara Temple, Penn HillsPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Sri Venkateswara Temple, TividaleTividale, West Midlands, United Kingdom
- Sri Venkateswara Temple, HelensburghHelensburgh, New South Wales, Australia
Questions
Is Tirupati Balaji the same as Lord Venkateswara?
Yes. Balaji is the name most of North India knows him by, and Tirupati is the town at the foot of the hills; his temple is above it, at Tirumala. The Balaji temples of Salasar and Mehandipur in Rajasthan are temples of Lord Hanuman, who is also called Balaji there.
Which day is Lord Venkateswara’s?
Saturday, Shanivaram, in many homes; in Tamil Nadu above all the Saturdays of Purattasi, from September to October. Many recite the Suprabhatam at dawn that day.
What are the seven hills of Tirumala?
Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri, where the temple stands. Together they are the Saptagiri, and by tradition the coils of the serpent Adisesha.
Why do pilgrims offer their hair at Tirumala?
As a vow and an act of humility, giving up pride with their hair. Tradition ties it to Neela Devi, who is said to have given her hair to the Lord.
When is the Brahmotsavam at Tirumala?
The great annual Brahmotsavam runs for nine days, usually in September or October, with a procession on a different vahana each morning and night. In a year with an extra lunar month there are two, the second called the Navaratri Brahmotsavam. TTD announces the dates.
What is Vaikuntha Ekadashi at Tirumala?
The Ekadashi of the bright half in Dhanurmasa, in December or January. The Vaikuntha Dwaram, the gateway round the sanctum, is opened for pilgrims to walk through, which is held to open the way to Vaikuntha.
How do I book darshan at Tirumala?
Only through Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD): its own website, its app and its counters. Check the day’s timings and rules with TTD before you travel; they change, and this page gives none.