from Part III - Contemporary Hinduism in south India
Behold! Yonder is the abode of Hari
That is the lofty holy Venkata hill;
That is the hill which is dear and precious sight to even Brahma and other devas;
That is the permanent residence of innumerable sages and saints;
Behold that holy hill
Bow down to that hill of bliss;
It is the choice resort of devas from heaven;
Behold the priceless sacred treasure of that hill
Behold the dazzling golden peaks;
Behold that embodiment of several Vedas
Behold the Venkatagiri, the seat of Kaivalya (salvation).
That is the hill which is Lord Sri Venkateswara's wealth;
That is quintessence of all conceivable wealth and treasure;
That hill is the holiest of the holies.
Composed by fifteenth-century Telugu poet Annamayya, this poem still echoes through the seven hills of Tirumala, which attract thousands of devotees each day from India and abroad. As described in the above verse, this place is surrounded by a huge mountain that extends for several miles. The deity that lives on this hill is popularly called “the God of Seven Hills”. North Indians call the deity “Balaji”; for south Indians, the deity is Sri Venkateswara and “the God Venkata of the Seven Hills” (Yedu kondala venakateswarudu in the local language Telugu). Although Sri Venkateswara is considered an avatāra of Viṣṇu, and most of the practices and rituals at the temple reflect a tradition of Śrī Vaiṣṇavism, a distinctive sect of Vaiṣṇavism that highlights the worship of Śrī, the consort of Viṣṇu.
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