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One of the very important temples in
Tirupati , Sri
Govindarajaswami Temple was consecrated by Saint Ramanujacharya in 1130
AD. It is located in the heart of the Tirupati.
The Main Shrines
In
this temple there are two main shrines. In the northern shrine is 'Sri
Govindaraja', who is Lord Vishnu lying on 'Ananta'. He is considered to be
Lord Venkateswara's brother. The other main shrine has Deities of 'Sri
Parthasarathi' (Krishna as the charioteer of Arjuna), 'Rukmini' and
'Satyabhama' (Krishna's wives). Few parts of the inner shrine date back to
the 9th and 10th centuries. The original temple had Sri Parthasarathi on
the main altar. 'Sri Ramanuja' added the Sri Govindaraja deity around
1130.
The Entrance
It has an imposing seven-storey 'Gopuram' built in 1628, which can be
seen from a distance. To the left side of the entrance first Gopuram
(gate) of the temple dedicated to Lakshmi is found. She is seated on a
lotus in her four-armed form, holding a lotus in each of her upper hands,
while her other two hands are in poses of 'Abhaya', fearlessness, and
'Varada', benediction.
Another nearby shrine is dedicated to Sri Ramanuja and on the left of the
second entrance is a 'Kurma' Deity, Lord Vishnu as a tortoise. There are
carvings depicting the pastimes of the Ramayana and Lord Krishna's
pastimes on the second gopuram.
The annual float festival is also celebrated every year. The festivals
and functions are similar to those conducted in the Sri Venkateswara
temple.
Air: The nearest airport is at
Tirupati.
Rail: Tirupati
is the nearest railway station. There are trains that travel via Renigunta
or Gudur, but do not touch Tirupati. In such cases, Renigunta (just 10-km
from Tirupati) or Gudur (100-km from Tirupati), are convenient points to
alight. From Renigunta/Gudur, you can reach Tirupati by train, bus, or
taxi.
Road: APSRTC buses run from all the important places in the state.
One can stay at the hotels in Tirupati.