About Temple

AGAMAM: VYKHANASA

Dwaraka Tirumala is a famous temple from the ancient times. According to some Parana’s, the temple is popular even in Kruta yuga and is still attracting the devotees. According to Brahma Purana, Aja Maharaja, the Grandfather of Lord Sri Rama also worshiped Lord Venkateswara for his marriage. On his way to the ‘Swayamvaram’ of Indumati, he passed by the temple. He did not offer prayers in the temple. The bride Indumati garlanded him, but he had to face a battle with the kings who came to the Swayamvaram. He realized that the battle was thrust on him for ignoring the temple on the way. After realizing this, Aja Maharaja prayed to the Lord Venkateswara. Suddenly the kings stopped the battle.

It is a great wonder to see two main idols under one Vimana Sikharam. One idol is a full and complete statue. The other is a half statue of the upper portion of the form of the Lord. The upper portion of the form is a self-manifested idol located by Sage "Dwaraka". The saints of the yore felt the prayers to the Lord are not complete without worshipping His holy feet. So, the saints joined together and installed a full statue behind the self-manifested idol, to worship the feet of the Lord according to Vaikhanasa Agamam. It is believed that the prayers to the smaller statue of the Lord will lead to Moksha, and the big form stands for Dharma, Artha and Kama. The Tiru kalyanotsavam is celebrated twice a year. One for the self-manifested idol in the month of “Vaisakha” and the other for the installed idol in the month of “Aasweeyuja”.

On entering the sanctum sanctorum, one feels a most inspiring and enchanting experience. The presiding mythological deity Lord Venkateswara is visible up to the Bust size and the lower portion is imagined to be in the earth. The holy feet are said to be offered to Bali Chakravarthi in “Patala” for his daily worship. The full size idol of Lord Sri Venkateswara standing at the back of the main idol is said to have been installed by the great social reformer Srimad Ramanuja of the 11th century. The idols of Padmavathi and Nanchari are installed in the Arthamandapa facing east. This is a full equipped shrine to be a Divyasthala.

The most peculiar aspect here is that the hill appearing to be a serpent in form, even to the naked eye, confirms the mythological version that Anantha, the serpent king has taken up this terrestrial form of serpent hill and is carrying God Mallikarjuna on the hood and Lord Venkateswara on the tail, thus creating a happy and harmonious compromise of Vaishnavism and Saivism at a single place. The magnificent monuments like, Vimana, Mantapa, Gopura, Prakara etc., stand to the credit of Dharma Appa Rao recent ruler (1762 – 1827) and the golden ornaments and silver vahanas stand to the credit of the generous queen Rani Chinnamma Rao of Mylavaram, Krishna Dist. (1877 – 1902). These things immortalize the glory of the shrine.