The temple city of Tirupati is commemorating its 893rd birthday today. The date is marked based on the historical references to its inception on this date in 1130 AD. 893 years ago, Sri Vaishnavite saint Bhagawad Ramanujacharya laid the foundation for the Govindaraja Swamy temple which is now located in the heart of the city.
Following this, the city turned it into a spiritual centre. Last year, city legislator Bhumana Karunakar Reddy brought out ancient inscriptions which were discovered inside the TTD-run Govindaraja temple- a proof that Ramanujacharya laid the foundation stone for the city on Feb 24, 1130.
Read more: Tirupati temple to launch facial recognition system for darshan from March 1
"Tirupati was founded on Phalguna Pournami of Soumya Nama year, Uttara Nakshatra Somavaram, when Ramanuja enshrined the presiding deity of Govindaraja, performed Nithya Kainkaryams, and began constructing four mada streets with Agraharas. Other communities around the temple grew subsequently and turned into Tirupati, which is today an iconic place of Hindu worship in India and hosts one of the richest shrines in the world,” Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said.
Prior to Ramanuja's arrival, there was no Tirupati, he asserted adding that there were numerous places for festivals, but no other city has a precise date of its establishment.
{{/usCountry}}Prior to Ramanuja's arrival, there was no Tirupati, he asserted adding that there were numerous places for festivals, but no other city has a precise date of its establishment.
{{/usCountry}}“Bhagavad Ramanuja, who established Samata Dharma and formulated Puja Kainkaryams at Tirumala temple, was the originator of Tirupati city, and hence it was revered as Ramanuja Puram for a long time. “The town was first called Govindaraja Pattanam, then Ramanuja Puram, and then as Tirupati since the beginning of the 13th Century”, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said.
The municipal corporation of Tirupati is set to perform rituals for the deity of Sri Ramanujacharya at the shrine located inside the Govindaraja swamy temple precincts which will be followed by a colourful procession and a series of events and cultural programmes to mark the occasion.