The temple o f Tirumala received liberal patronage during the |ni ii id of the rule o f this dynasty. Two famous rulers o f this family. Krishnadevaraya and his brother, Achyutadevaraya, were ardent devotees o f Sri Venkatesvara and gave him many valuable presents. Krishnaraya visited the temple on 10th ebraury, 1513 and presented to the god many costly jewels like a kirita o f gold, set with various precious stones, a three-stringed necklace, a garland o f pearls and a silver plate (11-32-39). On the same occasion his queen, Chinnajiamma presented a gold cup, weighing 374 units, for offering milk after the night worship (DI-40-49). His other queen, Tirumaladevi, presented a gold cup o f the same weight and a gold plate (111-50-59). Other records o f the same date mention the emperor’s other gifts like a big Vaidurya ornament set with precious stones, three swords and sheaths, set with costly stones, a garland, a pair o f
Bhujakirtis, a bracelet, and two haras to the processional image o f Sri Venkatesvara (III-60-64). He gifted some more jewels and villages for the merit o f his parents (111-65). The emperor visited the
temple for the second time on 65th July, 1514 and performed Kanakabhishekam to the god with 30,000 chakram port, presented a three-stringed ornament set with precious stones and gifted a village (111-66-68). On the same occasion, queen, Chinnajidevi, presented to the god one Kanthamala set with precious
stones and gifted also a village (111-70-72). Queen Tirumaladevi gave the god a Chakrapatakam set with diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pearls and alos gifted a village (111-73-75). Krishnaraya visited Tirumala again on 25th October, 1515 and presented to the god a Prabhavali containing nine kinds o f precious stones (111-76-79). His next visit was on 2nd January, 1517. On this occasion he presented one necklace and one pendant and got the vimanam of the temple gilded with the gold o f 30,7000 varahas and gifted 1,000 varahas for the expenses o f Pulikappu conducted to the god on every Thursday (111-80-82). He was at Tirumala again on 17th Febraury, 1521 and on this occasion presented to Sri Venkatesvara
a silk cloth set with gems, a cape similarly set with valuable stones
and two chamaras. He also gave 10,000 varahas (111-83). His queen, Ti rumaladevi, presented apadakam set with precious stones (111-80). The work o f gilding the vimana was completed on 9th
september, 1518(111-81). A record dated 1515 A.D. mentions the gauraakkuli-vasanta festival (III-105). Another, belonging to the next year, mentions the Brahmotsava conducted in the months o f Purattasi Tai and Panguni (III-113). Arecord o f next year states that the Gaurakkuli-vasanta festival was conducted on the day next to day o f the Floating festival. (III-127). It is known from a record o f 1519 A.D. that the image o f the god was being seated in the shrine o f Varahasvami on forty days during the eight Brahmotsavams (III-132). It is also stated that the god went on slow wnlking in the evening hearing Sri Suktis on the Brahmotsavam days ( III-133).
one record o f 1530A.D. belonging to the reign o f Achyutaraya, enumerates a number o f festive occasions like the nine Brahmotsavams,Garudavahanam, Rathotsavam, Achyutaraya’s Brahmotsavam, the procession to the Samkirtanabhandaram, the Summer festival, Adhyayanotsavam, the swing festival, Pav itrotsavam, Sahasrakalasabhishekam, Vasantotsavam, the New Moon day, the Full M oon day, the Dasami, Ekadasi and Dvadasi days, the Tiruonam day, Uttiram day, Deepavali, Yugadi,
Sri Jayanti, the Uri-adi kadasi and Mukkoti-dvadasi (IV -6 ). Another record 1532 A.D. refers to the practice o f offering three Yajnopavitams to the god at the time o f Alagappiranarm tiruman janam (IV -14).
Achy utaraya visited Tirumala on 31 st January, 1533 and himself had the Srinivasa ahasranamarchanam performed to Sri Venkatesvara and presented a number o f costly jewels and dresses (IV -16 and 17). A record o f 1532 A.D. refers to the setting up o f stone steps to the tank on the hill and the building o f a compound wall and a mantapa (I V-20). Another record o f the next year refers
to the Achyutarayan-Koneri (IV-24). An inscription o f 1534 A.D. mentions three avasarams or offerings named after Krishnaraya, his brother, Achyutaraya, and the later’s queen, Varadaji-amma (IV- 29). Tallapakam Tirumalayyangar, son o f Annamayyangar, set up steps o f granite stone to the Svamipushkarini, erected the Niralimantapam in the middle o f it, built a Pradakshinamantapam
on its four sides, constructed Prakara walls to the temple o f Varahasvami and raised the eatem gopuram to the temple o f Sri Venkatesvara (IV-40,41). A record o f 1535 A.D. mentions the Tirukalyanam festival during the nine Brahmotsavams, the recitation o f Kausikapuranam in the month o f Kartikai, and the
cradle festival, celebrated for Krishna, in the Tirumamanimantapam (IV-46). In the same year, Achyutaraya instituted the Lakshmidevi-mahotsavam to be celebrated for five days to the god and his consort and gifted the Uttarayam o f 300pon to meet the expenses o f this festival (IV-54). An inscription o f 1536 A.D. mentions the Vannimaram or Vijayadasami festival (IV-69). Several records o f this time enumerate the festivals celebrated in the temple (IV -8 1-86,110,158). In 1540 A.D. Achyutaraya sent a
dancer, named Hanumasani, to serve in the temple o f Sri Venkatesvara (IV-142). A record o f 1541 A.D. mentions the Sankirtanabhandaram, in which the copper-plates containing the kirtanams composed by the members o f the Tallapakam family were kept, in the first prakara o f the temple (IV -155). Another record o f the same year mentions the Narasanayakar street at Tirumala (IV -159). One inscription o f 1541 A.D. states that Salakaraju Siru- Tirumalaraju constructed the Varadaji-ammatiruvidhi to the west
o f Tirumalayyangar’s house in the west Mada street at Tirumala (IV -168).
A record o f 1543 A.D. states that Alarmemangai-Nachchiyar adorns the bosom o f Sri Venkatesvara (V-5). Another mentions that musk and refined camphor were being used to decorate the forehead o f the god (V-2, 8 ). A third record, belonging to 1543 A.D., refers to the reading o f the Srinivasa puraruim in the temple (V 10). One record, dated two years later, mentions the Chunabhishekam festiva l celebrated to the god in the Tirumamanimantapam (V-41). Another o f the same year mentions the Tirukalyanam day, the bed chamber arranged inside the shrine of Sri Venkatesvara, the practice o f the god honouring the Sankirtanams o f the Tallapakam family during the twenty days o f the summer festival and the practice o f reading o f the Sribhashyam of Ramanuja before the god during the sixty tirumanjanam days
(V -47). Another inscription mentions the Vanabhojanam festival conducted on the day o f the Sravanam star during the month o f Kartike (V-47). An inscription o f 1545 A.D . mentions the Pallavotsavam (V -51). Tallapakam Periya-Tirumalayyangar, son of Annamayyangar, instituted in 1546 A.D. the Vaivahikotsavam to be clehrntcd for the god forfive days in the month ofPanguni
(V-71) in I lie Tirumamanimantapam. A record o f 1551 A.D. refers to Alagapparanar or Koluvu-Srinivasa in the sanctum o f Sri Venkatesvara (V-129). An inscription o f 1561 A.D. states that
Aravidu Tirumalaraya constructed an Unjal-mantapam in the Sampangi- pradakshinam and that Salva Narasimha instituted the Unjai-festival ( V -168). This record enumerates the festivals celebrated in the temple at this time viz., Pavitrotsavam, Saha s r ana m a r c h a n am, S a h a s r a k a l a s a b hi s he kam,
Adhyayanotsavam, Vasantotsavam, Damanarohanam, Unjal festival, Pcndli-tirunal, Lakshmidevi festival, Kodai tirunal, Floating festival, Pallavotsavam , Phalotsavam, M esha- samkramanam, festival sconducted on Amavasya, Purnima, Dasami Ekadasi, Dvadasi, Rohini, Mrigasirsha, Punarvasu,
Uttara, Mula, Purvashadha, Uttarabhadra, Sri Jay anti, Uraiadiand Uttana-dvadasi, Arpasi-puradham, Deepavali, Yugadi. Kartikam, Makara-sankramanam, Padiyavettai, Tai-pusam and Tanniramudu (V-168). One record o f 1564 A.D. mentions the Rathasaptami festival (V -173). It is known from an inscription dated in 1586 A.D. that a certain Avasaram Chennappa constructed the Kalyanamantapa (VI-7). A record o f 1614 A.D. mentions the Ramapattabhishekam festival at Tirumala celebrated in the Venrumalaiy ittanmantapam on the day next to the Sri Ramanavami day and the practice o f reading the
Vayupuranam during the festival (V I – 18). Two records o f 1623 A.D. state the Mala Anantaraja presented several vehicles like the Svarnasva, Gaja, Samarabhupalavahana, Padmapitha and Unna-tukkelimantapa, and that he built the Galigopuram on the stepped pathway (VI-25-26). The same chieftain is said to have built the Kotta-gopuram near A lipiri (VI-27).*
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