Venkateswara Temple

When Lord Vishnu descended to earth as Lord Srinivasa to meditate in the Seshachalam Hills, he fell deeply in love with a local princess named Padmavati. But a divine wedding required divine wealth, and Srinivasa had nothing. So he did something extraordinary — he took a massive loan from Kubera, the God of Wealth, to fund his wedding.

The interest on this loan was so astronomical that it would take until the end of Kali Yuga — the current age of the world — to repay it. And so devotees from across the world have been helping Lord Venkateswara repay this debt ever since. They donate gold, jewels, cash, and even their own hair — the temple collects over 75 million dollars annually and shaves the heads of over 50,000 pilgrims every day. The donated hair is exported worldwide and generates significant revenue.

The idol of Lord Venkateswara is so ancient and so sacred that there is an ongoing debate: is the deity Vishnu or Shiva? The idol bears marks of both — the Namam of Vaishnavites and the holy ash of Shaivites. This mysterious duality only adds to the temple's immense spiritual power. The eyes of the deity are said to be so powerful that they are always partially covered with camphor to protect devotees from their intensity.

The seven hills of Tirumala are said to be the seven hoods of Adishesha, the cosmic serpent on whom Vishnu reclines. The Hundi (donation box) collects over 650 crore rupees annually, making this the wealthiest religious institution on Earth. The Tirupati Laddu, the temple's sacred sweet offering, has been granted a Geographical Indication tag and is distributed to every single pilgrim.

Patronized by the Vijayanagara Empire, the Pallavas, and the Cholas. Receives 50,000-100,000 pilgrims daily. The richest temple in the world.

Srivari Brahmotsavam in September-October is a nine-day grand celebration. The Garuda Seva attracts over 1 million devotees on a single day.

Dravidian architecture featuring the gold-plated Ananda Nilayam vimana. The gold-plated gopuram was funded by donations from millions of devotees.