The Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared on the earth to save mankind from trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. Hence the place has also got the name Kaliyuga Vaikuntha and the deity here is referred to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam. The temple is also known by other names like Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple. Venkateswara is known by many other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa.[3] The temple is run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is under control of Andhra Pradesh Government. The head of TTD is appointed by Andhra Pradesh Government. Tirumala Hills are part of Seshachalam Hills range. The hills are 853 metres (2,799 ft) above sea level and comprise seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Adisesha. The temple lies on the seventh peak—Venkatadri, on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank. Hence the temple is also referred to as "Temple of Seven Hills".[4] Tirumala town covers an area of about 10.33 sq mi (26.75 km2).
Tiruvannamalai (Tamil: Tiruvaṇṇāmalai IPA: [ˈtiɾɯʋaɳːaːmalɛi̯], otherwise spelt Thiruvannamalai; Trinomali or Trinomalee[2] on British records) is a city, a spiritual, cultural, economic hub and also the administrative headquarters of Tiruvannamalai District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city is home to the renowned Annamalaiyar temple, Annamalai hill, Girivalam and the Karthigai deepam festival. Being a prominent tourist destination which attracts considerable foreign visitors.[3] The city is one of the cities featured in Lonely Planet.[4] Tiruvannamalai has a thriving service sector industry, including retail, resorts and recreation activities. Apart from the service sector, the city is also the hub for many industrial setups including SIDCO,[5][6] spinning mills and premier educational institutions.[7][8] The city is administered by the Tiruvanamalai Municipality, originally constituted in the year 1886.[9] The city has a good network of roadways and railways and a popular getaway to the Megacities of Chennai and Bengaluru. The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation is considering setting up a new airport at Tiruvannamalai.[10]
According to legend, there were three brothers who were mute, deaf and blind. They were digging a well to fetch water to their field. The device they were using fell into the well hitting hard object. When they dug further, blood started to gush out of the well and the three got rid of their disabilities. The villagers rushed to the spot and found deity of Ganesha. Villagers dug further, but they were not able to find the base of the deity. The deity sits in the well which is always full of water.Vinayaka is the presiding deity of the temple. As per legend, it is believed that the deity is Svayambhu(Self-manifested). The deity is seen in the well, full of water always.