Tirupati: The temple city of Tirupati commemorates its 893rd birthday on Friday, February 24, based on the historical references to its inception on this date in 1130 AD.
On this day 893 years ago, Sri Vaishnavite saint Bhagawad Ramanujacharya laid the foundation for the Govindaraja Swamy temple, now located in the heart of the city, turning it into a spiritual centre and marking the beginning of the township’s growth.
City legislator Bhumana Karunakar Reddy brought out ancient inscriptions on Feb 20, last year. These, discovered inside the TTD-run Govindaraja temple, has proof to show that Ramanujacharya laid the foundation stone for the city on Feb 24, 1130.
“Tirupati was founded on Phalguna Pournami of Soumya Nama year, Uttara Nakshatra Somavaram, when Ramanuja enshrined the presiding deity of Govindaraja, performed Nithya Kainkaryams, and began constructing four mada streets with Agraharas. Other communities around the temple grew subsequently and turned into Tirupati, which is today an iconic place of Hindu worship in India and hosts one of the richest shrines in the world,” he explained.
Addressing the media here on Tuesday, the MLA said that prior to Ramanuja’s arrival, there was no Tirupati. The Srivari Utsavams were celebrated in Tiruchanoor. There were numerous places for festivals, but no other city has a precise date of its establishment,” he said.
“Bhagavad Ramanuja, who established Samata Dharma and formulated Puja Kainkaryams at Tirumala temple, was the originator of Tirupati city, and hence it was revered as Ramanuja Puram for a long time. “The town was first called Govindaraja Pattanam, then Ramanuja Puram, and then as Tirupati since the beginning of the 13th Century”, he said.
He averred that birthday celebrations are important not only for the people, but also for a city like Tirupati, the gateway to the Tirumala, where Lord Venkateswara Swamy’s sacred hill shrine is located.
The Municipal Corporation of Tirupati has planned special rituals for the deity of Sri Ramanujacharya at the shrine located inside the Govindaraja swamy temple precincts, followed by a colourful procession by the people along the four mada streets encircling the temple. A series of events and cultural programmes are also planned by the civic body to mark the occasion.
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