Tell about Tirupati Balaji ?

Visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily; while on special occasions and festivals like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000 and more, making it the most-visited holy place in the world.

With the tag of being India’s richest temple (after the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala) of any faith, it is believed to have been around since 300 BC.

IT IS THE HOME GROUND OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S RICHEST TEMPLE ADMINISTRATIONS, TTD (TIRUMALA TIRUPATI DEVASTHANAM).

Also, it remains a miracle that there is real hair on the main idol of Venkateswara Swamy. The authorities say that this hair never tangles and is silky smooth always.

The major source of its income is Kanuka or Hundi offerings.

Needless to mention, the lights lit in front of the Swamy are said to be lit since thousands of years.

Besides this, the sale of prasadam, darshan tickets, sale of seva tickets, sale of human hair, and receipts from choultries (places of accommodation) are the other significant sources of income.

The gross income of TTD for the current year (2014-15) is estimated to be Rs.2359.2 crores($385.33 mn). So, that is about Rs.6.34 crores($1.036 mn) per day. Whoooaaaa!

AND THE SECRET VILLAGE 22 KM FROM THE TOWN! WOW.

Allows only the residents of that village to enter; and what’s more – it is said that the village has a garden of flowers from where the flowers are fetched and used in the sanctum of Lord Venkateswara Swamy.

THIS ULTRA COOL RELIGIOUS HUB HAS FREE TRANSPORT AT ITS FEET.

There are 12 such buses that pass through cottages, choultries, temples and other places in Tirumala, at a frequency of every 3 minutes in the prescribed time slots.

The free bus services operated by TTD in Tirumala are known as “Dharma Radhams”.

Ahh, and the nostalgic Ghat Road Buses!

TALK OF NATURE’S WONDERS, AND YOU HAVE GARUDA HILL.

TALK OF NATURE’S WONDERS, AND YOU HAVE GARUDA HILL.

The Garuda Hill in Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, features a natural rock formation that is in the form of Garuda (the eagle).

Incidentally, it turns out that Garuda is also the vehicle of Lord Venkateswara.

THE EVER-FAMOUS 300-YEAR OLD “TIRUPATI LADDU” HAS A GLOBAL PATENT, FOLKS!

It got the patent rights under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act; to counter the black market that was developing.

Around 150,000 laddus are made daily. Each laddu weighs around 100gms, and is said to be made by a group of priests called “Archakas” in a special temple kitchen called “poku”.

WHAT’S MORE? HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A PLACE THAT HAS AN AMBULANCE FOR DISTRESSED ANIMALS?

It uses a hydraulic system to haul animals into its stalls and can also be used for shifting stray dogs.

The ambulance, a specially outfitted truck costing Rs. 13 lakh, has been funded by the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Marchig Animal Welfare Trust of Scotland.

NO? Then, maybe, you should get your facts right. Our very own Tirumala has it all.