The presiding deity of Tirumala is Lord Venkateswara. He is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Every incarnation of God comes with a purpose. God incarnates to destroy evil and restore Dharma. Venkateswara is often seen with ‘Tilakam’ on the forehead, Shanku / Conch in the left hand and Cakra / Disc in the right hand. There is a deep meaning / philosophy behind this.
1. He is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu
Lord Venkateswara is the presiding deity of Tirupati Balaji Temple. He is also called Srinivasa, Venkatachalapati and a host of other names. He is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and appears whenever evil rises and humanity needs to be saved.
When a shepherd’s axe hit him, Venkateswara lost a patch of hair. Goddess Neela Devi noticed this and plucked a small portion of her hair and placed it on his head. This is why many devotees offer their hair to the Lord.
The tilakam on his forehead consists of a ‘V’ or ‘U’ shape and the ‘bindu’ with tail dropping into it signifies that Lord Venkateswara holds the universe, life and humankind together. Every time you see this tilakam, it reminds you of the core of our existence and our purpose on earth.
Read, Also:- The Power of Organic Ingredients
2. He is the incarnation of Lord Shiva
The presiding deity of Tirumala is Lord Venkateswara, also known as Balaji. He is the incarnation of Lord Shiva. He revealed Himself and settled at Tirumala in response to the prayers of Sage Narayana, who undertook rigorous penance. His upper right hand holds the Chakra, representing the wheel of time. His lower left hand rests on his thigh, showing that devotees should completely surrender to him.
The sages and pontiffs for the yagna had a difficult decision to make: For whom should the ritual be conducted? There was a consensus to worship Lord Venkateswara. This led to the emergence of numerous names for him including Srinivasa, Venkateswara, Tirupati Timmappa and Govinda. He is also sometimes referred to as Balaji, meaning the cosmic child. This is because he appears after the great dissolution of the universe to set things in order.
3. He is the incarnation of Lord Brahma
The presiding deity of Tirupati is Lord Venkateshwara. He is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and is worshiped with Balaji Chalisa. He is shown with a Shanku (conch) on his left shoulder and Chakra (disc) on the right. He is the protector of devotees and blesses them with prosperity and good health.
The Lord is a giver and He returns crores of times the amount of money that He receives from devotees. He uses this money to pay the debt that He owes to Kuber, the god of wealth.
Once, the Lord was in search of his consort Mahalakshmi and He found her taking birth in the Chola kingdom as Padmavati. To find her, Shiva and Brahma incarnated themselves as a cow and calf and poured milk into an anthill every day to lessen the thirst of the Lord.
4. He is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu’s consort Mahalakshmi
Many devotees have said that their visit to Tirupati Balaji has strengthened their faith and belief. They have experienced spiritual incidents that they couldn’t explain. There are even stories of miracles that have taken place at the temple.
In Hinduism, Lakshmi represents the supreme spiritual feminine energy that empowers and uplifts the Jeevatma (individual soul). She resides in Vishnu’s heart as Moolavirat, along with Lord Venkateswara. She also symbolizes the spiritual world or Vaikunta.
Lord Venkateswara is the presiding deity of the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, India. He is known by various names, including Tirupati Balaji, Srinivasa, and Venkatachalapathi. He is a manifestation of Lord Vishnu who has appeared on earth in this Kali Yuga to offer salvation to mankind. He is a destroyer of sins and an embodiment of love and compassion.
5. He is the incarnation of Lord Krishna
Many devotees who visit Tirupati Balaji temple have had spiritual incidents that they can’t explain. They have come back with stronger faith and devotion to the Lord. Lord Venkateswara is the presiding deity of Tirupati and is also known as Venkatachalapathi, Vishnu, Srinivasa, Tirumala devar, Varadaraja, etc. He is depicted with Shanka & Chakra on the upper shoulders, Kthariha Saram (flower decked belt) along his waist and His lower hands are extended downward to give protection to his devotees.
Lord Venkateswara is considered to be Swayambhu or Self-Manifested and possesses the powers of all Trimurtis, namely Dattatreya for Yogis, Shiva for Shaivites, and Vishnu for Vaishnavites. He is a manifestation of Dharma and the savior of mankind in this Kali Yuga. The Lord is the embodiment of justice and compassion. He rewards and punishes according to one’s deeds and karma.
