Govindaraja Swamy Temple In Tirupati

                                                     Govindaraja Swamy Temple In Tirupati


Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple is one of the substantial sub temples associated with Sri Venkateswara Swamy Tirupati. As we all know Sri Venkateswara Swamy is known to shower love and blessings to his devotee's and followers. The Sri Govindaraja Swamy temple is one of the earliest proof's of the everlasting bliss of Sri Venkateswara.
Sri Govindaraja Swamy is the elder brother of Swamy Venkateswara, who accomplished the ever-magnificent marriage between Venkateswara Swamy and Padmavathi Ammavaru. The Govindaraja Swamy was the caretaker of massive wealth being obtained from king Kubera for conducting the marriage.

Story of Govindaraja Temple in Tirupati:-

Some time earlier, Sri Ramanuja had the news that the divyadesa (divine abode of God) called Tiruchittira kutam (in Chidambaram) was in great danger of being destroyed and that the processional deity of Sri Govindaraja had somehow been saved by some devout Srivaishnavas and brought to Tirupati. The moola moorthi, (Stone icon) Chitrakutanatha Govindaraja, in the form of the Lord reclining in the milk-ocean had been thrown into the sea. It may be recalled that Sri Govindaraja appeared there to please the sage Kanva who was observing penance on the banks of the river Cauvery. The desecration of this temple was part of the large-scale destruction of Vishnu temples by a certain Chola king, unfit to be called by name, who was an ar­dent devotee of Siva. He is identified as the King whose neck developed a carbuncle and was infested with worms (Krimi-kanta) which caused his death.
Sri Ramanuja was deeply stirred and grieved that an ancient divyadesa sung by Sri Kulasekara Aiwar and Tirumangai Aiwar should be so destroyed. He believed that the shrine, which was the object of the mangala sasanam (good wishes for welfare) of sage Kanva and the two devoted Alwars, would not suffer total destruc­tion and was bound to appear again. He decided to have the processional deity established in a temple in Tirupati for the present.. He informed his beloved disciple, the Yadava king of his intention of establishing the utsava moorthy, worshipped as Devatideva, in Tirupati. He had the divine power (presence) of the Lord in the moola moorthy secretly extracted from the idol thrown into the sea by prescribed rites and transferred to a new moolamoorthy. He had the (stone) moolamoorthy Govindaraja and the bronze icon (recovered from Tiruchitrakuta) Devatideva established by the side of the lake in the southern part of Tirupati by the rites of Vaikhanasa agama.
i he new moolamoorthy was a replica of the icon thrown into the sea by the Chola king — the Lord of the milk ocean reclining on His serpent bed, his feet gen­tly massaged by Sridevi and Bhudevi, with the four-faced Brahma appearing on the lotus rising from the navel, decorated by the tall crown and other jewels, bearing the divine weapons chanka, chakia and others in His four arms. The Lord was reclining on His serpent bed with His head towards the south and feet to the north. The mouth of the serpent Adisesha was spitting fire and poi­son to drive away the demons Madu and K.aitapa who were approaching the Lord towards His feet.

The king, according to the command of his guru Sri
Ramanuja, established Govindaraja as described earlier in a big temple in the southern part of Tirupati and de­veloped a township around the temple by name Ramanujapura. In order to pacify the anger of Adisesha spitting fire and poison on the demons Madu and Kaitapa, the king effected certain alterations in the design of the township according to the suggestion of acharya Sri Ramanuja. The shrines of the Alwars were shifted from the foot of the hills to locations around the Govindaraja temple, in Ramanujapura.. The town of Tirupati was de­veloped in the form of the limbs of Garuda, near the sa­cred hill which is the body of Adisesha and sporting ground of Srinivasa.
Pleased by the Yadava King who was a devoted dis­ciple ready to listen to his advice and carry out his com­mands, and devoted to the Lord of Tiruvenkata who took up the Conch and Discus in His hands at his request to remove the saivas from Tirumala, and to Sri Govindaraja whom he had established in Ramanujapura in the town of Tirupati, the great saint Sri Ramanuja, though greatly attached to Sri Ranganadha, travelled to Tirupati and Tirumala several times and continued to reform the temples in conformity with ancient tradition.
The king Yadavaraja, a royal disciple of Bagavat Bhashyakara (Sri Ramanuja) who was ready to carry out the instructions of his acharya was also very much de­voted to Sri Govindaraja established by Sri Ramanuja. He raised magnificient gopurams, protective walls and mantapams for the temple. He had broad streets laid around the temple and had the various festivals to Sri Govindaraja celebrated in a fitting manner.

Significance of Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple:-

Sri Govindaraja Swamy is the elder brother of Sri Venkateswara Swamy, who accomplished the ever-magnificent marriage between Sri Venkateswara Swamy and Padmavathi Ammavaru. Sri Govindaraja Swamy was the caretaker of massive wealth being obtained from king Kubera for conducting the wedding. He efficiently utilised this wealth to conduct one of the most glorious weddings of the history.
Hence Sri Govindaraja Swamy is considered to be the god who helps you to elevate your wealth and manage the wealth acquired efficiently.

Specialties of the Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple :-
 
Sri Govindaraja Swamy is bestowed with the ability to remove of obstacles for the accumulation of wealth. Here the Lord occupies a resting position, after counting the volume of money he has received from Sri Kubera.
 
It is also believed that the Lord helps you acquire esteemed friends as it was he whom welcomed gods and goddesses from all over the globe. The temple shrine also has the remarkable presence of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy, Sri Parthasarati and Sri Andal. This also signifies the importance of Sri Govindaraja Swamy in Tiruptai History.
 

History Of Govindaraja Swamy Temple In Tirupati:-

This temple is the biggest temple in Tirupati Town and attracts lakhs of pilgrims. A large number of inscriptions found in this temple and in the Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala help us to trace its history. The earliest of the records belong to the year 1235 A.D when the Chola King, Raja Raja III was ruling the place. In the year 1239 A.D the queen of Viranarasinga of Yadavaraya made a gift for decoration of the chariot and carrying necessary repairs. The temple came in for greater importance in 1506 A.D. during the rule of Saluva dynasty of Vijayanagar and from then onwards different rulers in a different way developed the temple.

It is built by the Nayakas, the successors to the Vijayanagar empire. Govindaraja Swami Temple has a remarkable outer gopuram and an inner gopuram. The temple has an impressive outer gopuram. The inner most gopuram is the earliest one, dating from the 14th-15th centuries and has carvings that depict scenes from Ramayana and Lord Krishn's life.
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.

Very interestingly, at the shrine the celestial bath (Abishekam) is not conducted to the presiding deity perhaps first of its kind in India, a source said that the deity of Lord Sri Venkateshwara that is in lying posture is made of Clay. The TTD that manages the temple too has been contemplating to give golden touch to the deity.

 Entrance Govindaraja Swamy Temple In Tirupati:-

 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.

Festivals conducted in Sri Govindarajaswami Temple:- 

•Vaisakha Festival (Brahmotsavam)
•Float Festival
• Rathasapthami
•Bugga and Ponnakalva Utsavam
• Sri Andal Margalineerattam Festival
•Sri Salai Nachiyar Panguni Uttara Festival
•Sri Bhashyakarla Utsavam
•Sri Nammalwar Utsavam
•Jestabhishekam
•Thiruvadipuram Festival
•Thirumala Nambi Festival
•Adhyayanotsavam
•Thiru Nakshatram of alwar
•Manavalamahamuni Asthanam
•Vedantha Desikar Utsavam
 The annual float festival is also celebrated every year. The festivals and functions are similar to those conducted in the Sri Venkateswara temple

Annual  Jyestabhishekam Govindaraja Swamy Temple :-

On the concluding day of the Ongoing Three Day Annual  Jyestabhishekam  of Sri Govindaraja Swamy, the Temple Priests performed Snapana Tirumanjanam and  Kavacha Prathista to the Processional deity of Lord Govindaraja Swamy and His consorts in Temple premises on Saturday morning.
The gleaming golden armours covering the icons all year round are removed only for three days in a year during the ‘Jyesthabhishekam’ performed for the ‘unarmoured’ deities during the month of June-July.
On the third day,after a ‘snapana thirumanjanam’ to the deities, the purified armours were re-adorned to the deities ending the annual ritual.

Float Festival of Govindaraja Swamy Temple In Tirupati:-

The five-day annual Theppotsavam at Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple in Tirupati began here on saturday. The processional deities of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Sita were taken around the mada streets encircling the holy shire in grand procession before reaching the venue, Sri Vari Pushkarini (temple tank). Later, the deities were mounted on the colourfully illuminated Float, and were dragged around the holy tank amidst great religious fervour from 6.30PM to 7.30PM. Tens of thousands of devotees congregated on the holy steps of the temple tank, hours in advance to enjoy the colourful festival. While asthana vidwans played the nadaswaram’ the temple priests recited verses from the holy scriptures. The entire programme lasted for more than one hour.

Daily Sevas of Govindaraja Swamy Temple :


Name of the Seva  Timings 
Suprabatham  5.00 A.M to 5.30 A.M 
Vishwaroopa Darshnam  5.30 A.M to 6.30 A.M 
Thomalaseva  6.30 A.M to 7.30 A.M 
Sahasranama Archana  7.30 A.M to 8.00 A.M 
Archana Anantara Darshanam  8.00 A.M to 9.00 A.M 
Sarvadarshanam  9.30 A.M to 12.30 P.M 
1.00 P.M to 5.00 P.M 
6.00 P.M to 8.30 P.M 
Break ( Sudhi)  8.30 P.M to 9.00 P.M 
Ekantha Seva  9.00 P.

Other Dieties In Govindaraja Swamy Temple In Tirupati:-

◾Sri Parthasarathiswami Temple
◾Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami Temple
◾Sri Andal Temple
◾Sri Salai Nachiyar Ammavari Temple
◾Sri Ramanuja Temple
◾Sri Vyasaraya Anjaneyaswami Temple (Near Dwajasthambham).
◾Sri Tirumangai Alwar Temple.
◾Sri Kurath Alwar Temple.
◾Sri Madhurakavi Alwar Temple.
◾Sri Chakrathalwar Temple.
◾Sri Mudal Alwar Temple.
◾Sri Manavala Mahamuni Temple.
◾Sri Vedantha Desikar Temple.
◾Sri Woolu Alwar Temple.
◾Sri Anjaneyaswami Temple(Near outer Bugga).
◾Sri Nammalwar Temple.
◾Sri Sanjeevarayaswami Temple (opposite the Hathiramjee Mutt)
◾Sri Eduru Anjaneyaswamy Temple.

How to Reach Govindaraja Swamy Temple In Tirupati:-

By Bus:-

Tirumala Bus stand at a distance of 1 Km from Tirupati.

ByRail:-

 Tirupati Railway Station at a distance of 0.5 Km from Tirupati.


By Air:-

Tirupati  Airport  at a distance of 40 Km from Tirupati