Tirumala, a sacred place in South India

Venkatadri samam sthanam brahmande nasti kinchana
Venkatesa samo devo na bhuto na bhavishyati

There does no place equal to venkatadri (Tirumala Hills) in this space. There is no god equaling to Venkateswara Swamy (The deity in Tirumala Hills) either in past or in future.

Introduction
The town of Tirupati is one of the most ancient and spectacular places of pilgrimage in India. It is situated in the Chittoor district in southern Andhra Pradesh. The town owes its existence to the sacred temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara situated on the Tirumala Hill adjoining it. With a history that dates back to over twelve centuries, the temple is the jewel in the crown of ancient places of worship in southern India.
Geography
The Tirumala Hill is 3200 ft above sea level, and is about 10.33 sq miles in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven hoods of Adisesha, thus earning the name, Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrishabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri.
History
The history of the temple dates back to as far as 9th Century A.D, when Pallavas, the rulers of Kancheepuram patronised this shrine followed by the Cholas of Thanjavur, the Pandyas of Madurai, and the kings and chieftains of Vijayanagara. Most of these rulers paid their homage by making rich endowments to the temple in terms of lands, jewels and villages by virtue of which the temple is today, perhaps the richest shrine in the world. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) maintains the main temple along with 12 temples and their sub-shrines.
Interesting Customs
Tonsuring – the act of shaving your head to propitiate God - is a long standing ritual associated with Tirumala. As per the Vaishavite tradition, devotees offer their hair to the Lord which symbolizes effacing of the ego.
Marriages conducted here are traditionally believed to be sacred. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam established a 'Purohita Sangham' (an association of priests) which conducts marriages and other sacred functions like naming ceremony, upanayanam (thread ceremony) etc. There is a fixed fee for each of the functions. The Purohita Sangham performs rituals according to South as well as North Indian traditions.

Stay Options
Although the Tiruamala-Tirupati Devastanam Board has many free dormitories, cottages and guesthouses which are leased out on different rates as per the facilities offered it is advisable to have advance booking for stay either in Tirumala or Tirupathi. Tirupathi has 3 star and 5 star hotel facilities and may be a better choice for accommodation.
Transport Facilities
By Air: There is a small airport at Tirupati which receives flights from Hyderabad and Chennai. Chennai the closest city is at a distance of 150 km from Tirupati, which is well connected by various domestic and international from different parts of India and world.
By Rail: Tirupati is only 130 kilometers away from Chennai, a major railway station. Even otherwise it is well connected to Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai by road and rail transport.
By Road: APSRTC runs bus services from the airport to Tirumala and back for the benefit of air passengers apart from that a free bus service is also provided in and around Tirumala-Tirupati.
For more information:
For more information on Tirumala’s history, mythological stories, online seva, accommodation etc booking, check these websites.
http://www.omnamovenkatesaya.com
www.ttdsevaonline.com
www.tirumala.org
www.balaji.net
www.etirupati.com
http://www.tirumalainfo.com