There are numerous collections o f legends and stories about Tirumala and its god, Sri Venkatesvara or Srinivas. These are to be found in many o f the Puranas. A ll these have been collected and edited in a book, entitled the Venkatachalamahatmyam. Aninscription from Tirumala mentions aenkatachalamahatmyam read in the temple before the god. It is not known if the work o f this name now available in print, is the same as the one referred to in the inscription. Probably, it is not the same work because the printed work does not i ndicate the name o f any compiler. The printed work contains extracts from the Varahapurana, Padmapurana, Garudapurana, Brahmandapurana, arkandeyapurana,
Harivamsa, Vamanapurana,Brahmapurana, Brahmottarapurana, Aditynpurana, Skandapurana and Bhavishyottarapurana. Most of these extracts describe the sanctity and greatness o f the hills round
Tirumala and o f numerous tirthas situated on them. The following legends taken from the extracts from the Harivamsa and the Brahma, Brahmanda and Bhavishyottara puranas are o f particular interest:
