hindu tirthasthalon men tirupti bala ji ka anyatam mahatva hai. andhrapradesh ke chittur jile men tirumlai pahari par sthit tirupti bala ji mandir men bhagvan vishnu venkteshvar ke nam se puje jate hain. ise kaliyug ka vaikunth bhi kaha jata hai. venktachal ka pura parvat bhagavatsvarup mana jata hai. yah parvat tirumlai aur venktachal donon namon se jana jata hai. tiru ka arth hai shriman aur malai ka parvat arthat shriyukt parvat. isi prakar venk ka arth hai pap aur kat ka nashak arthat papnashak parvat. varah puran men bhagvan venkteshvar ke avataran ke vishay men ullekh milta hai ki adi varah ne svayan svamipushkarini nadi ke pashchimi tat aur vishnu ne venkteshvar ke rup men dakshini tat par apna nivas banaya. ek din vishnu ka ananya bhakt rangdas jab tirthatan par ja raha tha to uski mulakat gopinath se hui. gopinath pratidin tirumlai pahari par bhagvan venkteshvar ki puja karne jaya karta tha. svamipushkarini men snan karne ke bad usne dekha ki imli ke per ke niche kamal jaise netron vale nilavarn vishnu vidyaman hain, dhup, hava v varsha se unki raksha ke lie unke upar garur ne apne pankh faila rakhe the.
yah drishya dekh kar rangnath ashcharyachkit rah gaya tatha usne us sthan ke charon or patthar ki kachchi divar bana di aur bahut shraddha vishvas ke sath vishnu bhagvan ki puja ke lie pratidin gopinath ko pushp dene laga. ek din rangdas ke is niyam men ek gandharva dampati ne avrodh dala aur vah puja ke pushp dena bhul gaya. tab vishnu uske sammukh svayan prakat hue aur usse kaha ki mainne gandharva dampati ke dvara tumhari pariksha li thi lekin tum pariksha men khare nahin utar pae. apne aradhya ke munh se aisi bat sun rangdas ka man glani se bhar aya. bhagvan vishnu ne uski sachchi samarpit bhakti ki prashansa ki aur use ashirvad diya ki vah dobara janm lekar prasiddh raja banega. kalantar men rangdas ne ek rajsi parivar men janm liya. uska nam tondaman tha. usne vishnu ka bhavya mandir banakar dur-dur tak khyati arjit ki. tirupti ke darshan tirupti bala ji ke mukhya darshan tin bar hote hain. yahan pratidin lagabhag 50 hajar tirthayatri shri venkteshvar ke darshan karne ate hain. pahla darshan vishvarup darshan kahlata hai. yah prabhatkal men hota hai. dusra darshan madhyahn men tatha tisra ratri men hota hai.
in tin darshanon men koi shulk nahin lagta, lekin bhir adhik hoti hai. in samuhik darshanon ke atirikt vishesh darshan hote hain jinke lie vibhinn shulk nirdharit hain. mandir men ane vali bhir niyantrit rahe iske lie pratyek darshanarthi ko ek tokan diya jata hai jis par darshan ka samay ankit hota hai. isse samay ki bachat hoti hai. tirupti bala ji ka mandir tin parkoton se ghira hai. in parkoton men gopur bane hain, jin par svarn kalash sthapit hain. svarnadvar ke samne tirumhamandapam namak mandap hai aur ek sahasrastanbh mandap bhi hai. mandir ke sinhadvar namak pratham dvar ko padikavli kahte hain. is dvar ke bhitar venkteshvar svami bala ji ke bhakt nareshon evan raniyon ki murtiyan bani hain. pratham tatha dvitiya dvar ke madhya ki pradakshina ko sampangi pradakshina kahte hain. ismen ‘virj’ namak ek kuan hai. kaha jata hai ki shri bala ji ke charnon ke niche virja nadi hai.
usi ki dhara is kup men ati hai. isi pradakshina men pushp kup hai. balaji ko jo tulsi pushp charhta hai, vah kisi ko diya nahin jata, isi kup men dala jata hai. dvitiya dvar par karne ke bad ki pradakshina viman-pradakshina kahlati hai. tisre dvar ke bhitar garbhagrih ke charon or ek pradakshina hai jise vaikunth pradakshina kahte hain. yah keval paush shukla ekadshi ko khulti hai. bhagvan ke mandir ke samne svarn mandit stanbh hai. uske age tirumah mandap namak sabha mandap hai. dvar par jay-vijay ki murtiyan hain. isi mandap men ek or hundi namak band hauj hai jismen yatri bala ji ko arpit karne ke lie lae dravya-abhushan adi dalte hain. jagmohan se mandir ke bhitar char dvar par karne par panchven dvar ke bhitar shri balaji ki purvabhimukh murti hai. bhagvan ki shrimurti shyam varn ki hai. shankh, chakra, gada, paù lie balaji khare hain. yah murti lagabhag sat fut unchi hai. bhagvan ke donon or shridevi tatha bhudevi ki murtiyan hain. bhagvan ko bhimseni kapur ka tilak lagta hai. bhagvan ke tilak se utra yah chandan yahan prasad rup men bikta hai. yatri use anjan ke kam men lene ke lie le jate hain.
yatra ka kram: sarvapratham kapil tirth men snan karke kapileshvar ke darshan karne chahie. uske bad manyata hai ki bala ji mandir jane valon ko pahle varah svami mandir jana chahie uske bad bala ji ke darshan karne chahie, kyonki varah svami tirupti bala ji ke guru the.
yatra kram is prakar hai:
kapil tirtha: yah tirth paidal marg s jane vale yatriyon ko milta hai. yah ek sundar sarovar hai. unche parvat se jaldhara niche girti hai. sarovar men pakki sirhiyan bani hain. sarovar ke tat par sandhyavandan mandap bane hain. tirth ke charon konon par char stanbhon men chakra ke chihn ankit hain. purva disha men sandhyavandan mandap ke upri bhag men kapileshvar mandir hai.
tirumlai marga: tirupti bala ji isi parvat par sthit hain. gopur se charhai praranbh ho jati hai. parvat ke pure marg men bijli ki vyavastha hai islie rat men bhi ane jane men koi kathinai nahin hoti. is sat mil ki yatra men yatriyon ko sat parvat milte hain. shri bala ji satven parvat par hain. is marg ki paidal yatra punyaprad mani jati hai.
kalyanakatta: is sthan par mundan ka vishesh mahatva hai. mundan ka itna mahatmya hai ki saubhagyavti mahilaen bhi mundan karati hain. kuch mahilaen apne balon ki ek lat katva deti hain.
svamipushkarini: shri bala ji mandir ke pas hi yah vistrit sarovar hai. sabhi yatri ismen snan kar balaji ke darshan ko jate hain.
varah mandir: svamipushkarini ke pashchim tat par varah bhagvan ka bhavya mandir hai. adhikansh yatri bala ji ka darshan karke varah bhagvan ke darshan karne ate hain. kaha jata hai ki bina inke darshan ke yahan ki yatra safal nahin hoti.
kab jaen:
tirupti varsh men kabhi bhi ja sakte hain lekin sitanbar se march tak ka samay ati uttam hai.
kaise jaen:
tirupti pure desh se sarak, rel v havai marg se jura hua hai. tirupti men relve steshan v havai adda donon hain. magar chennai, haidrabad aur banglur se bas se pahuncha ja sakta hai.
kahan thahren:
tirupti men dharmashala, hotal, gest haus ki achchi suvidha hai. niahshulk dharmashalaon se lekar lagjari hotal ki suvidhaen bhi upalabdh hain.