Sri Venkateswara Temple

Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala is the crown jewel of Thondai Nadu Divya Desams and the most visited place of worship on Earth, receiving over 50,000 pilgrims daily. Perched at 3,200 feet atop the seven hills of Tirumala (Seshachalam), the temple enshrines Lord Venkateswara — also known as Srinivasa, Balaji, and Govinda — standing in a majestic pose with Shankha and Chakra. The Azhwar saints, especially Thirumangai Azhwar and Peyazhwar, sang gloriously of this hill-shrine in the Divya Prabandham. Peyazhwar, one of the first three Azhwars (Mudhal Azhwars) born in Thondai Nadu, praised the Lord of the Seven Hills with fervent devotion. The temple's antiquity stretches back to the Pallava period and beyond, with inscriptions from the Chola and Pallava dynasties attesting to its grandeur. The tradition of tonsuring one's hair as an offering and the Laddu Prasadam of Tirumala are world-famous. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) administers the temple, making it the richest religious institution globally.