WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN
swami_48@yahoo.com
Date: 23 AUGUST 2019
British Summer Time uploaded in London – 19-26
Post No. 6922
Pictures are taken from various sources; this is a non- commercial, educational blog; posted in swamiindology.blogspot.com and tamilandvedas.com simultaneously. Average hits per day for both blogs 12,000.
Tamil and Vedas 
R.Nanjappa (@Nanjundasarma)
/ August 24, 2019Tirupathi- the abode of Balaji,the most famous and wealthy of our Hindu temples- is it a wonder or mystery?
If we follow the ancient Tamil tradition of the five-fold division of the land with a Deity for each, then the hilly region of Tirumala-Tirupati qualifies as Kurinji land, of which the presiding Deity is Subrahmanya, the eternal Kumara ie Balaji! So claims are made that this was originally a Subrahmanya temple.
On the other hand, ancient Tamil literature gives the extant of the land of the Tamil speaking people as “lying between Venkatam in the North and Kumari in the South”. The interesting inference here is that as Kumari is the famous seat of Devi, which is the southern border, the northern border could as well have been a seat of Devi!. In fact we see the image of lion on the four corners of the Gopuram in Tirupati, and lion is the vahana of Devi!
When Swami Brahmananda [ Rakhal Maharaj] the spiritual son and direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and the first President of the RK Math and Mission visited Tirupati around 1911/12, he had a mystic experience there. He felt the presence of Devi there. He asked the priests there about the Deity. And the priests confirmed that it had been a Devi temple. This is clearly stated in the book ‘Swami Brahmananda As We Knew Him’, published by RK Math, Chennai.
So there is enough mystery surrounding this temple. Wish someone will unravel it without bigotry and prejudice.
Tamil and Vedas
/ August 24, 2019May be Narayani! All agree that the statue has unique Non Vaishnavite features in addition to Vaishnavite symbols