HOME                     My Tirupati History     (The Govindarajaswamy Temple in central Tirupati)
     

The Sri Govindarajaswamy Temple is an ancient Hindhu-vaishnavite temple, originally built in the 12th century, dedicated to Vishnu (the Preserver), also known as Govindaraja.
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The temple is in the centre of the town between Gandhi road and
the rail station. When I first visited in 1982 it was very peaceful and even in 2015 it remained quieter then the rest of the town. The route leading to the gopuram from the road is mainly pedestrian and lined with small shops and stalls, and these continue on the route from the gopuram to the central courtyard, selling chiefly religious items related to this temple and, more often, to the Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala in the hills. Most visitors to the temple were probably in Tirupati on their way to Tirumala.

   
..................................................................... Wikipedia description of the temple         Maps of Tirupati
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  1982    1984    1992     1993    2003    2007    2008    2010    2012    2013    2014    2015   


1982
  1982 1984
 
TOP 1984   The temple tank  
 
1992 1992 The entrance to the inner holy sanctum 1992  Temple elephant in inner courtyard by the mandapam
     
 
1993 1993   In temple courtyard. Ayappa pilgrims having fun washing; they asked for phot then went serious
 
TOP 1993    View from backstreet 2003  Carrying the god through streets - probably to the temple tank
 
  1993

Inner courtyard showing gopuram at entrance to inner sanctum and the 4-pillared Mandapam

 
2003 2003  
 
TOP 2003      View from inner courtyard Temple elephants in situ
 
2007 2007    Liz shopping for bangles in the temple precinct Whoops, dropped it
   
     
 
  2007    I don't think there is religious significance in the stainless steel shops 2007    Got to know him a bit over years
 
  2007     On the way into the temple 2007     On the way out of the temple  
 
  2007    Beneath the gopuram
 
TOP 2007     Beneath the gopuram
 
  2007   During a special festival period the god is escorted by elephnts from the temple to the tank. He is transferred to a floating barge and paraded around for large happy crowds to see
   
    As the crowds dispersed these musicians performed for us
 
  2007    The god on his barge.

Helping the fairground atmosphere

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2008 2008     A Sadhu asleep against the wall of the temple, identifiable by red/white stripes The temple courtyard, showing the 4-pillared Mandapam, used for religious dances and music or just restin
 
  2008    The usual route into temple and then under the gopuram
2010
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TOP 2010  First view of the temple while walking to town on the railway track from the guest house 2008    From the bridge over the railway, with the seven hills in the distance
     
 
  2010    Preparing to bring the god down to the temple tank Taking a tour of the tank on his raft with priests and music
 
  2010    The usualcolourful shops on path into the temple  
 
    He said he is minding this stall while his mother sleeps
 
   2010    'Official' beggars at the Mandapam: "they beg for your sake sir - your giving gives you credit" About to sleep against the temple wall
   
TOP 2012    New phone tower with old temple  
2013
2013   Inner courtyard. A temporary sun shelter has been built at the entrance to the inner sanctum
 
TOP Backlit entrance to inner sanctum I have been watching the young elephant grow up for last years
2014
TOP Slightly more fairground than usual
 
TOP The god coming to the temple tank for people to see and worship On his raft
2015
  Temple tank The god's raft being towed for us to see
 
  The usual shop Less usual, a candyfloss seller from Tamil Nadu in the temple precincts
 
  'My' main restaurant (Sindhuri Park hotel on the right directly opposite the temple tank on left My last picture of my special temple
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