Venkateswara

Venkateswara, also called Balaji and Srinivasa, is the form of Vishnu worshipped on the Tirumala hills at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. He is shown standing, with four arms holding the conch and discus, and with Lakshmi on his chest. Devotion to him is strong across India, including Odisha, where a Balaji temple was inaugurated in Bhubaneswar in the presence of the state Chief Minister and the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams runs a programme to build replicas of the Tirupati shrine across Indian states. The great festival at Tirumala is Brahmotsavam.

According to the tradition of the Venkatachala Mahatmya, found in texts such as the Varaha Purana and the Bhavishya Purana, the sage Bhrigu once tested the three gods and kicked Vishnu on the chest, the place where Lakshmi lives. Lakshmi left Vaikuntha in anger. Vishnu came down to the Venkata hill...