Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India    (Dec 2005)        

Tirupati, 150 km northwest of Chennai in the Palkonda Hills, is known as the abode of Venkateshwara, Lord of Seven Hills, and a form of Vishnu. About 15 km northwest, on the sacred hill of Tirumala (elevation 750 m), is a temple dedicated to Venkateshwara. A fine example of Dravidian art and one of the most important pilgrimage centers in India, it employs 18,000 and attracts more pilgrims than Jerusalem, Rome, and Mecca - on a typical day, 100,000 pilgrims visit this temple. The devout consider it auspicious to have their heads shaved during their visit. About 500 years ago, Tallapaka Annamacharya fathered a new genre of devotional singing addressed to lord Venkateshwara, which today fills the air at Tirumala. His Sankirtana Laksanam, a collection of 32,000 songs in Sanskrit and Telugu, represents a significant contribution to Carnatic music. [Adapted from Encyclopedia Britannica]

Venkateshwara temple (more)	Darshan queue starts here	Temple bathing tank	Holy water?
Venkateshwara kitsch	Freshly tonsured	Shiny pates	Sadhus
Open air puja	Coconut offering	Camphor smoke	Devout women
One of many temples	Giant banyan tree	Shaved family	Porter
Getting used to it	Afternoon stroll	Wealthy couple (more)	Beggar
Inner calling	Siesta	Laddus for the lord	Tirupati train station