Discription of the temples of Tirumala -Varaha shrine

The Vamanapurana mentions a story according to which Brahma set up an image of this god on the bank of the Svamipushkarini. In course of time the temple was destroyed. Subsequently, a Nishada started cultivating the syamalca crop in the neighbourhood. He used to give part of it to a brahmin for being cooked and offered to god. One day he gave the grains to his son, and went in search of honey. He returned after a long time. Meanwhile the boy thought of god and ate a few of the grains. The Nishada tried to hit the son for this offence but a divine voice told him thatthe grain was offered by the boy to god. On one occasion, the Nishada saw a big white Varaha eating up his crop. He chased it. The Varaha entered an anthill. He desired to see it again and dug out the anthill. From inside, the Lord told him “you cannot see me. My image, originally installed by Brahma, is inside this anthill. Get it out and get it properly installed.” The Nishada did so.
The Bhavishyottarapurana mentions another story. According to it, after receiving a blow on his head, Srinivasa wandered one day in search of herbs. On the way he met a Svetavaraha and each began to wonder who the other was. Ultimately they came to an agreement. Varaha, who was already there on the west bank of the Pushkarini, agreed to giveSrinivasa 100 padas of space to live on and to share with him milk, honey and syamaka food. He also detailed a lady named Vakula to attend upon Srinivasa. This Vakula was Yasoda in the previous life. Once Yasoda told Krishna “I did not see your marriage. I wish to see it.” Krishna replied that she would see it in the Kaliyuga. Yasoda was re-bom as Vakula and attended upon the Lord as she did when he was Krishna.
The Puranas state that Varaha was on Seshachala earlier than Sri Venkatesvara. The place is called Varahakshetra. Sri Venkatesvara and Brahma stipulated that this god should be seen earlier than Sri Venkatesvara.
This god Varaha is also known in inscriptions as Gnamppiran or giver of knowledge. This god comes to notice for the first time in a record of 1380A.D. which refers to rice offerings made to him on the second day of each Brahmotsavam (1-184). It is not known in what kind of shrine this deity was found at this time. Saluvalimmaraja provided for two offerings to this god in 1481 A.D. (T. T. 196). A record of 1519 A.D. mentions that the processional image of Sri Venkatesvara used to be seated in the Varaha shrine on five days during the Brahmotsavam of Sri Venkatesvara and hear the lirumoli of Tirumangai Alvar sung there (T. T. 38). A certain Venkatatturaivar arranged, in 1539 A.D., for the offering of food to Gnanappiran, enshrined on the west bank of the Svami- pushkarini, on the thirty days of the Dhanurmasam festival in the month of Margali (IV- 138). Tallapakam Tirumalayyangar, son of Armamayyangar,
constructed the Prakara walls and pradakshinamantapam for the shrine in 1535 A.D. (IV-40,41). Tallapakam Tiruvenkatanatha arranged, in 1546 A.D., for the supply of rose water and chandanam on the day of the Sravanam star in the month of Chittirai, for offerings to be made on the day of Krittika, for offerings to be made on the 4th solar day in the bright half of Ani and Masi months and on the day of Visakha star in the month of Vaisakha (V-71). Provision was made, in 1543 A.D., for offerings to be made to this god on the occasion of the Sudarsana being bathed in the Pushkarini on the day of Mukkoti-dvadasi (V-5). As late as 1684A.D. Raja Sri Sivaraja Ramachandra arranged for the offering of one plateful of food for this deity. (VI-24).

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