Balaji
Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
We had them up to the neck in flower petals. I had Krishna, the deity, that is. The temple in Tirupati is presided over by a deity of Krishna as Govinda. He is accompanied by Radha and eight other female gopis (cowherd girls). Revati had ordered two truck loads of flower petals of all sorts and kinds to shower upon these deities. Revati does everything in style and this party which commemorates the birth anniversary of Chaitanya is no exception.
Musicians came from the state of Kerala, eight of them on dolak drums, others on mangira symbols and two men on Nagesvaran horns completed the group which played in the temple and led a procession in this city of about 400,000 in the evening. From this procession I got my walking done.
What makes Tirupati so spiritual a place is told in ancient Puranas. Some Brahmin priests had a debate over which of the three gods that control the universes namely Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu is superior. The sage Brghu was appointed the adventurous one to travel about the cosmos and meet these illustrious personalities. After meeting each one Brghu concluded that Vishnu demonstrated the most humility. Vishnu did so by messaging, the feet of his great devotee. Lakshmi the wife of Vishnu, did not take kindly to this act of Brghu Muni who tested Vishnu’s tolerance by kicking his chest. For this reason Vishnu chose to massage. Lakshmi felt she had to leave and perform austerity. She felt as if she shared in the apparent offence of Brghu.
From that point on Vishnu searched for her and ended up here in Tirupati taking up residence in a tall abandoned ant hill. He never did find her and for this he lamented. Vishnu is also known as Balaji.
3 KM
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