Tirumala Tirupati- Srinivasa Mangapuram temple
Once upon a time, the Srinivasa Mangapuram (aka alamelumangapuram) was filled up with bushes, trees that the temple was barely visible. During that time, there were no priests to perform daily archana to the lordships.
Even if someone dared to get inside the temple, the snakes used to come out of nowhere and attack the devotees.
Why would the almighty Sri Kalyana Venkateswara swamy be in such plight? What is the relationship between the temple and the lunatic woman?
The Muslim army entered into the temple and destroyed all idols, but when they neared the Kalyana Venkateswara swamy idol, no one knew what they heard or what they saw, but they shivered to even touch the idol of the lord……what exactly happened?
Let’s know!
The Srinivasa manga Puram of which we are taking darshans of today was once a deserted place filled with anthills, snakes, trees, bushes wherein people never visited and were scared to enter the premises even though there was a temple.
During those times, a lady out of nowhere appeared in Srinivasa Mangapuram, she used to talk whatsoever, used to laugh, not like a lunatic, she seemed like a very soft-spoken person, she looked very radiant with that smiling face. Even though she had wrinkles on her body, she looked as radiant as a goddess — her yellowish complexion, Kumkum on her temple and her hands filled with bangles (symbolically representing a married woman).
She used to talk very less to people in that village, even if she wanted to ask something she’d ask something even lesser and then let out a smile.
People of that village used to ask the lady numerous questions “who are you?”, “where are you from?”, “why did you come to this village?”, “what is your caste”. The villagers used to harass and threaten the poor lady with such bombardment of questions. Even though the villagers were harassing her, she’d let out a gentle smile and leave that place. People would swear at her on her back calling her a lunatic woman and later even stopped caring about her how bouts and whereabouts.
People in the village who used to sympathize with her used to call her by the name Thayaramma. The temple of Srinivasa Mangapuram which was filled with trees, shrubs, herbs, snakes and anthills was the residence of Thayaramma.
She’d go to every house in the morning and ask for wicks and oil saying “Please give me few wicks and oil, I want to lit a lamp for my lordship. If anyone would give money to her, she’d deny and say “what will I do with this money, please keep it with yourself.” She’d ask instead for rice, pulses, salt and other items to prepare offering for the lordship.
After gathering all the items, she’d go to the temple premises, make a stove with wooden sticks and prepare the offering in a clay pot. She’d take a clay diya, light it and then take it along with her inside the temple which was completely covered with darkness.
The snakes would come out of their hole, open up their crests and hiss at thayaramma, but she wouldn’t jerk and say “naga and seshu, don’t interrupt, my lord is hungry, I need to offer him the food which I made for him out of so much love and affection, get out of my way.”She used to get into the temple, clean the idol of the lord, offer him flowers, light the lamp, offer him the bhog. That was her devotion. she would murmur something, nobody knew whether they were holy hymns or was she talking. This conversation was only known to two people- Sri Srinivasa and Thayaramma.
After offering the bhog to the lordship, she would give them to the cowherd boys and ask for a little milk for them. She’d pour the milk in a clay pot and ask the snakes to come. She’d call them as if they were her own kids and the snakes would obidiently come to her, drink milk and go into their holes.
Her daily routine was to collect all the necessary items for people’s home, make the offering, offer it to the lord, clean his altar, give the offering to cowherds, take milk from them, offer it to the snakes. She served the lord in such way for 40 years.
One day she went to people and started saying “Today is my last day of service to my lord, tomorrow a saint (swamiji) will be coming to this place and then this place will regain its lost radiance. Take care of yourselves kids.” Not only she went to the houses of those people who gave her the groceries for preparing the offering, she went to each and everybody including her best friends who were the cowherds and bid them adieu.
She also said “From here I shall go to Tirumala, Tumbarikona and chant my lord’s name there.”
People who didn’t empathize with her made fun of her calling her as a lunatic woman, but people who had a deep connection with her and had considered her as their family member they said “Poor woman, she was here for over 40 years serving the lord, no wonder why is she talking about sage and all.” After she left that place, everybody stood there for some time waiting for the saint whom she had mentioned about earlier, they waited for a very long time but nobody came and they had left to their respective homes.
Since then, everybody were clearly able to find a void in Srinivasa Mangapuram, her best friends the cowherders used to miss her presence, people to whose house she used to go to get her daily essentials from, would wait for her to knock the door, the temple was empty with no offering, lamp for the lord, the snakes would hiss in a dissatisfied hum.
The sage introduced himself to the villagers saying, “My name is Sundararajan, the lord had appeared in my dreams, so I have come all the way from Kanchi (Kancheepuram) to Srinivasa Mangapuram in search of him”.
But, after few days, one fine morning as Thayaramma said, the villagers found a sage coming towards Srinivasa Mangapuram. People who believed were shocked to see her statements coming true, but her critics were shivered. That very day, everyone in the village thought of thayaramma as a divine lady. People who misbehaved with her realized their mistake and tears were rolling down their cheeks because of guilt.
They thought to themselves “how pious she would have been that the almighty himself spoke to her? Will we get one more chance to see her?. But that was not possible, people thought that is she another incarnation of Vakula matha (mother of Lord venkateswara swamy/ Lord Krishna’s mother- yashoda maiyya in her previous birth).
Before we know the reasons behind Muslims waging a war against that temple — let us know the importance of that temple.
When Sri Venkateshwara swami and Goddess Padmavati got married and the newly weds in their wedding attire (yellow clothes — pasupu vastram) were going to the seven hills (Tirumala), they stopped by Agasthya Maha muni’s hermitage, took his blessings and were ready to go to the main temple, the sage stopped them and prayed with folded hands saying “ O lord! You newly weds cannot go to Tirumala now till you finish 6 months of your marriage, hence I request you to stay in my hermitage and accept my hospitality.”
The lord got happy and accepted his hospitality. As the lord and the goddess didn’t wish to stay in his hermitage as they were newly weds, they used to accept the sage’s worship and spend rest of their time in the Srinivasa Mangapuram temple not causing any inconvenience to the sages.
As soon as 6 months were completed, the Lord and his consort reached the Tirumala shrine via Srivari Mettu. Because the lord along with his consort walked via that route, that route came to be popularly known as “Srivari mettu.”
A violent storm from the Vikala river (also known as Kalyani River) unleashed its fury on the tranquil village, accompanied by torrential rain that seemed unending. The relentless downpour flooded the narrow streets, turning them into rivers of muddy water, while fierce winds uprooted trees and sent debris flying. The once majestic village temple, a symbol of hope and community, could not withstand nature’s wrath. Its ancient walls crumbled under the relentless assault, and the sacred structure was reduced to ruins. The devastation left the villagers in shock, their homes and cherished temple now a haunting reminder of the storm’s destructive power.
The villagers of that pilgrime place started carrying the luggage of the piligrims, picking up fresh grass for cows at the Goshala and continued their livelihood as such after that violent storm in Srinivasa Mangapuram.
After 100 years, during the rule of Sri Krishna Devaraya’s step brother Achutya Devaraya who’s minister was Talapaka Annamacharya’s first grandson’s son Chinna Tirumalacharya couldn’t resist himself from seeing the temple in such status, he wanted the permission from the king to reconstruct the Srinivasa Mangapuram temple.
In the year 1540, the temple was succesfully rebuilt and new idols were installed in the shrine with the prana prathistha ritual completed.
After 200 years, there were instances when some rulers who identified as Mohammedans (Muslims) destroyed Hindu temples. These actions were often driven by a combination of political motives, efforts to assert dominance, and the religious zeal of the time. The destruction of temples not only aimed to weaken the morale of the local Hindu populace but also to establish the supremacy of the ruling powers. Temples, being centers of cultural, social, and economic activity, were significant targets. The demolition of these structures led to considerable loss of cultural heritage and religious sanctity, deeply affecting the communities that revered them. Despite these historical conflicts, the resilience of the Hindu community ensured the reconstruction and preservation of many temples, which continue to stand as symbols of faith and endurance.
The Mohommadian ruler Hyder Ali, who had conflicts with the Britishers in the East India company, wanted to take his grudge by obstructing the routes via which the bristishers used to get food supplied which was the Pulikat river route — — Mamandur — — Kallur karma was obstructed with Hyder Ali’s army.
Hyder Ali’s army attacked the Chandragiri fort in the year 1582 with his army in thousands. He planned to destroy all the temples surrounding Tirumala Tirupati. He instructed his army to do as such and his army started destroying all the temples in the surroundings and also looted the people in those areas, killed many people. During that time, Srinivasa Mangapuram temple was a highly maintained temple with lots of devotees visiting and taking the almighty’s darshans.
Hyder Ali along with his army in thousands surrounded the premises of the temple, and started destructing the temple as their will. They killed the people who tried to obstruct them, and also destroyed the idols in the temple.
When they approached the main sanctum where Lord Srinivasa was there, nobody knew what they saw or heard, but as they approached the idol, they had a fear in their hearts which yelled “Will we be alive if we destroy this idol?”. With that very fear they left the idol undestroyed; they just stole the ornaments of the lord and left the temple.
The priests of the temple decided not to perform any rituals to the lord there where in the mughals came and destroyed the idols. But, do you think the lord shall leave those people who did this sinful act? They will face their karma.
Before Hyder Ali could cross the Chittor district border, died because of an unknown ailment and died. Maybe he underestimated the lord’s idol to be a an ordinary idol, but for this he lost his life.
Once-thriving Hindu temple gradually fell into desolation. The temple, once bustling with devotees and vibrant rituals, began to lose its congregation due to shifting demographics and urban migration. The once well-maintained grounds became overgrown with weeds, and the intricate carvings adorning its walls started to weather and crumble. The echo of daily prayers and festivals faded, leaving a haunting silence in the air. Without regular upkeep, the temple’s structure weakened, and its sanctity diminished.
Then came Thayaramma, the lord knows how to get his holy temple to a vibrance once again. When the Vaishnava priest Sundararajan came to Srinivasa Mangapuram, he had described his dream to the villagers as follows “The lord appeared in my dream and asked me to seek him and later disappeared.”
In a quest for divine connection, a devoted saint embarked on a journey to find the Lord’s temple. Guided by faith and inner vision, he traversed dense forests, crossed vast plains, and scaled towering mountains, enduring the elements and the challenges of the unknown. Along the way, he encountered wise sages and humble villagers, each offering clues and ancient tales about the elusive sanctuary. Undeterred by hardship, the saint’s resolve only grew stronger. His journey was not just a physical pilgrimage but a profound spiritual quest. After years of relentless pursuit, the saint finally discovered the temple nestled in a serene valley, hidden from the world’s distractions. There, in the tranquility of the sacred space, he found not only the temple but also a deeper, unwavering communion with the divine.
Since that very day till today, The temple’s majestic architecture, adorned with intricate carvings and vibrant murals, stands as a testament to ancient artistry and devotion. Daily rituals and festivals are celebrated with great fervor, filling the air with melodious chants, the fragrance of incense, and the glow of oil lamps. The temple grounds, meticulously maintained, are alive with the bustling energy of devotees, priests, and the rhythmic sound of temple bells. Despite the passage of time, the Srinivasa Mangapuram Temple remains a beacon of spiritual energy and cultural heritage, its vibrance undimmed and its sanctity revered by generations.
Om namo venkatesaya ll
Hari om tat sat ll
