SHILPARAMAM: Shilparamam is a crafts village sprawling over 30 acres of land in Madhapur, 9 km from the airport and 13 km from the Hyderabad railway station. Dotted with lovely rocks, gorgeous lawns and rippling waterfalls, it plays host to myriad forms and styles of ethnic arts and crafts of India. An All India Festival of Arts and Crafts is held here every March. It provides a meeting ground for artists and artisans from all over India. Artistic traditions from every nook and corner of the country are displayed here. The place is also a cultural hub of the city hosting several cultural programmes all round the year. Shilparamam is a one-time opportunity to take home a piece of ethnic India.
Tirumala - The abode of Lord Venkateshwara: Located in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh is the grand temple of Lord Vekateshwara or Balaji. The temple is located on the seventh peak, Venkatadri (Venkata Hill) and hence the deity is also known as 'Lord of the Seven Hills'. These hills are said to resemble the shape of the mythical serpent Shesha and so the deity is also referred to as 'Sheshachalavasa'. The topography of Tirumala shows that the temple is at an altitude of 3,200 feet above sea level. Research on the inscriptions of the temple dates the temple structure to be of the 8th century AD and reveals some distinctive architectural features of the Vijayanagar period. There are two main ways to reach Tirumala. One way is a road designed for vehicles with a distance of 12 miles and the other, a stepped pathway, seven miles long. It is estimated that on an average, 50,000 pilgrims visit the temple every day and the number exceeds one lakh during the 'Brahmotsavam' festival. Tirumala is considered to be the richest Hindu temple in the world. And richer is the 'prasadam' - fondly called Tirupati Laddu, made of cashew nuts, raisins, boondi and sugar syrup.
The image of the Lord is in the Sthanaka (standing posture). On either sides of his shoulder are the sankhu (shell) and chakra (wheel). Goddess Lakshmi is seated on his right chest. Adorned by precious jewellery, Balaji wears a big emerald called 'Meru Pacha' considered to be the biggest emerald in the world. The most exquisite of his jewels is the intricately carved diamond crown (aparanji) encrusted with 28,369 diamonds!), costing approximatelyRs 5.73 crores.
Not just the Lord, even the Vimana (tower) above the temple and the huge pillar in front of the deity are wrapped in gold sheets. It is customary for devotees to make a vow and offer their hair on the fulfilment of their wish. Tonsuring is done free of cost at the Kalyana Katta. Before entering the main temple, the pilgrims take a dip in the Swami Pushkarini tank believed to clean them of their sins and bestow prosperity.
Every morning, the day commences with 'Suprabhatham', a pre dawn seva (service) meant to awaken the Lord from his 'yoganidra' (the Lord's sleep). The Balaji Suprabhatham is an impressive devotional poem comprising of twenty-nine slokas sung by the famous singer M S Subbalakshmi. The most important festival of Tirumala is the annual Brahmotsavam celebrations, during the month of September. During this time, the hills resound with the constant chant of 'Govinda'. It is a nine-day long utsavam (celebration) with the fifth, eighth and eleventh day being most important. It is considered fortunate by devotees to visit and be a part of this celebration. Tirumala under the management of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams offers good infrastructure, amenities and services to pilgrims. It is a much sought after pilgrimage centre with an exceptional combination of architecture, history, richness and celebration.
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