Govindaraja Temple

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Govindaraja Swamy Temple

In Tirupati there is the important Sri Govindaraja Swami Temple, Sri Govindarajaswami Temple was consecrated by Saint Ramanujacharya in 1130 AD. It is located in the heart of the Tirupati.

The Main Shrines

In this temple there are two main shrines. In the northern shrine is 'Sri Govindaraja', who is Lord Vishnu lying on 'Ananta'. He is considered to be Lord Venkateswara's brother. The other main shrine has Deities of 'Sri Parthasarathi' (Krishna as the charioteer of Arjuna), 'Rukmini' and 'Satyabhama' (Krishna's wives). Few parts of the inner shrine date back to the 9th and 10th centuries. The original temple had Sri Parthasarathi on the main altar. 'Sri Ramanuja' added the Sri Govindaraja deity around 1130.

Govindaraja Swamy Temple Entrance It has an imposing seven-storey 'Gopuram' built in 1628, which can be seen from a distance. To the left side of the entrance first Gopuram (gate) of the temple dedicated to Lakshmi is found. She is seated on a lotus in her four-armed form, holding a lotus in each of her upper hands, while her other two hands are in poses of 'Abhaya', fearlessness, and 'Varada', benediction. Another nearby shrine is dedicated to Sri Ramanuja and on the left of the second entrance is a 'Kurma' Deity, Lord Vishnu as a tortoise. There are carvings depicting the pastimes of the Ramayana and Lord Krishna's pastimes on the second gopuram.

The annual float festival is also celebrated every year. The festivals and functions are similar to those conducted in the Sri Venkateswara temple.

Southern India