History of the Sacred Seven Hills of Lord Venkateswara, Tirumala...
ANCIENT HISTORY:
There are many legends associated with the sacred seven hills and the Lord resting atop the Hills here. The legends are so inter-twined as it seems one cannot distinguish and separate the Lord from the sacred seven hills. These hills are said to have waited for the Lord for thousands and thousands of years. Some of these stories are highlighted here.
Accordingly to Hindu mythology and legends, foundation to the Tirumala Hills can be traced back to Treta yuga, i.e. during Lord Ram's existence on earth. When Ravana takes away Sita from the forest, Lord Agni (God of fire) intervenes and takes Sita away from him in exchange for one Vedavati, once the staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. Vedavati wanted to become wife of Lord Srimannarayana and to achieve this end, she goes into forests and starts meditating when she was disturbed by Ravana. Ravana, astonished to see the beauty of Vedavati, wanted to marry her but she refuses. Ravana insists and threatens her with abduction. Having found no way to get out of this situation, Vedavati vows to cause Ravana's downfall and death before sacrificing her life by becoming ahuti in fire. Agni, the God of Fire, saves and protects her.
Thus, when Ravana takes away Sita from the forest, Agri intervenes and sends Vedavati in place of Sita. This is said to be the reason for Lord Ram's asking Sita (Vedavati, who is rescued from Ravana) for perfomance of Agni Pravesh to get back Sita from Agni. Till such time, Agni protects Sita. Thus, Vedavati goes with Ravana, spends about a year in Lanka thereby becoming the reason for his downfall and death.
When Vedavati performs Agni-pravesh, Lord Agni appears and Sita is restored to Rama with gratitude.
In ancient literature Tirupati is mentioned to as Aadhi varaaha kshetra. The puranas associate the site with Lord Varaha, one of the Avatar of Lord Vishnu. The Varaha shrine is said to be older than the main sanctum of Venkateswara.
The origins of the Tirumala Hills lies in a contest between Vaayu (God of Wind) and Adisesha(the first serpent). During Dwapara Yuga, Adisesha blocked Vayu from entering Vaikuntham as Lord Vishnu was in the company of His consort, Lakshmi. An incensed Vayu challenged Adisesha to a fight to decide the stronger between them, Vayu was tasked with trying to blow off Adisesha from the Holy Meru mountain while adisesha was asked to protect the peak with his hood. After a long time, Vayu appeared to yield and Adisesha lifted his hoods assuming that he had won the contest. Vayu then blew away one of the peaks. The peak landed near the Swarnamukhi river and is currently known as Seshachalam hill. A variant to the legend is that the contest created pandemonium on earth and Brahma, Indra and other gods pleaded with Adisesha to relent. When Adisesha obliged, the peak (Ananda hill) and Adisesha were blown off Meru and landed near the banks of river Swarnamukhi. When Adisesha was dejected with his defeat, the Gods converted Adisesha into the seven hills with the hood named as Seshadri hill or Seshachalam hill or Venkatadri hill. Another variant to the story is: Adisesha, fatigued by the contest was instructed by Lord Venkateswara to rest on Earth in a place that he chose for his stay in Kali Yuga.
The seven peaks of the shrine represents seven heads of Adisesha. Tirumala is one of the 108 divya desams and seven heads are named as Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri.
Tirumala Seven Hills Named as...
1. Vrushabadri Hill - Hill of Nandi, Vahana of Shiva.
2. Anjanadri - Hill of Lord Hanuman.
3. Neeladri - Hill of Neela Devi.
4. Garudadri - Hill of Garuda, the vahana of Lord Vishnu.
5. Seshadri - Hill of Sesha, the dasa of Lord Vishnu.
6. Naraynadri - Hill of Narayana (Vishnu).
7. Venkatadri - Hill of Lord Venkateswara.
The sacred temple of Sri Venkateshwara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatadri and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini.
The Sanctum sanctorum called the Garbha Griha is where the main deity of lord Venkateswara resides. The deity stands majestically to a height of eight feet, in the centre of the sanctum directly beneath a gold gilded dome called the Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana. The exquisitely wrought deity called the Mulabera is believed to be Svayambhu (self manifested), according to the legends. Further, no human being is known to have either sculpted or installed the deity in the shrine.
Here is another legend:
Once upon a time, there was one staunch devotee (asura) of Lord Vishnu by name Vrishabhasura. Once he performs ghora-tapas for the Lord. The Lord appears and readies to shower boons on the asura. But Vrishabhasura asks a boon which Lord Vishnu readily accepts. The boon was 'Vrishabhasura's desire to fight with the Lord'.
The fight began and both sides put in their strengths. Even after putting up a very brave front, Vrishabhasura is defeated by Lord Vishnu. The Lord first destroys the Ego of Vrishabhasura. The asura then begs Lord to forgive him and asks asylum which the Lord readily grants. Then Vrishabhasura asks the Lord to put His Lotus Feet on his head and rest there! Lord Vishnu assures Vrishabhasura that, during Kali yuga, He is going to reincarnate as Lord Venkateswara and he would rest on him. Vrishabhasura becomes a big mountain on earth and waits for the Lord to come down to earth. At last, during Kali yugam, the Lord reincarnates as Venkateswara and rests on the hill fulfilling the desire of Vrishabhasura.
Here is yet another legend:
Vayu (God of Wind) and Seshu (the snake on whom Lord Vishnu resides in Vaikuntham) fights with each other on the issue of 'who is the strongest?'. Seshu says that he is the greatest and strongest because he has Lord Vishnu on him taking rest! He bears the great God, so he is greatest. Then Narada enters the scene. To decide who is the strongest, Narada asks Vayu first to lift a large mountain and throw it away. Then comes the turn of Seshu who has to lift the mountain and throw it away. Even on exerting great force, Seshu could not lift it but he himself becomes a victim, of the great weight of mountain which falls on him. Seshu, who is hitherto living under the mirage of ego of himself being the strongest, prays Lord Vishnu and asks Him to regain him from the mighty mountain. Lord Vishnu thereby saves Seshu, who now prays the Lord to be seated on him again, as usual. Lord Vishnu asks him to wait until He reincarnates on the Earth as Srinivasa.
Seshadri, one of the seven sacred hills, is the mountain on which Lord Venkateswara stands now in Tirumala.
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