Historical inscription: An Inscription From The 12th Century Records Offerings At The Shrine Dedicated To Ramanujacharya At Tirumala

TIRUPATI: The mada streets around the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple are central to the annual Brahmotsavams, with the processional deity taken around the shrine to enable devotees to have darshan.

The arrangement is among the contributions attributed to Sri Ramanujacharya, Sri Vaishnava philosopher and theologian who played a role in organising temple worship and religious practices at Tirumala.

With the Navaratri Brahmotsavams scheduled to begin with Ankurarpanam on October 11, Ramanujacharya’s contributions offer an insight into the traditions followed at the hill shrine.

According to historical accounts, he helped establish the four mada streets and made arrangements for conducting the Brahmotsavams at Tirumala. Traditional accounts state that the annual festival was earlier held at Tiruchanur for eight days.

Ramanujacharya’s association with Tirumala was also rooted in religious learning. TTD’s historical account identifies Tirumala Nambi, who lived at the shrine, as Ramanujacharya’s maternal uncle and guru.

He is associated with teaching Ramanujacharya the Ramayana at Tirumala. Temple tradition also recounts that Ramanujacharya visited the hill shrine several times and climbed the seven hills on his knees out of reverence for their sanctity. Mokali Mitta, situated along the Alipiri footpath, is associated with this tradition.

His role extended beyond the arrangement of the streets. Ramanujacharya is credited with entrusting Jeeyars with the responsibility of overseeing temple rituals and practices in accordance with the Vaikhanasa Agama tradition.

The Jeeyar Mutt was established at Tirumala under the aegis of Venkatanatha Shatagopa Yati. The Jeeyars continue to have religious responsibilities at the temple, separate from the TTD’s administrative functions.

He also introduced the recitation of more than 250 pasurams from the Alwar saints’ Divya Prabandham relating to Lord Venkateswara and appointed acharya purushas for the purpose. The practice of welcoming visiting pontiffs with purna kumbham and offering them teertham, prasadam and seshavastram is also attributed to him.

Several observances, including Goda Kalyanam, Tanneer Amudu Utsavam and Bhag Savari Utsavam, are associated with his contributions to temple worship. Ramanujacharya also prescribed practices for preparing naivedyam, or food offerings to the deity. According to temple history, he directed that offerings be prepared in the temple kitchen by cooks following Sri Vaishnava traditions. Gudannam, chitrannam, payasam, atirasam, appam and dosa were among the preparations offered to the deity.

Ramanujacharya’s contributions are also associated with the installation of idols of other deities in Tirumala. Temple tradition credits him with installing panchaloha idols of Sita Devi, Bhudevi and Yoga Narasimha Swamy. He is said to have arranged a mandapam for Yoga Narasimha Swamy near Swami Pushkarini and installed the Bhudevi idol at Poola Bavi, the flower well. The philosopher’s place in Tirumala’s religious history is also reflected in the shrine dedicated to him at the hill temple. An inscription from 1220 AD on the shrine’s base indicates that offerings of lamps and flowers were being made there by that period. The inscription provides a dated record of worship associated with Ramanujacharya at Tirumala

TTD has recently named the eastern, southern, western and northern mada streets Rigveda Margam, Yajurveda Margam, Samaveda Margam and Atharvana Veda Margam, respectively. The premises opposite the temple have also been named Ramanujacharya Pranganam in recognition of his services.

Several practices associated with Ramanujacharya continue at the temples in Tirumala, Tirupati and Tiruchanur.