Tirumala Dhruva Bera
Encyclopedia
Tirumala Dhruva Bera is the name given to the idol of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
, Andhra Pradesh
. Dhruva Bera is the official terminology used for the main deity of a temple with the exact translation being The Immobile image and as the name suggests, the idol is stationary and other idols are used for pujas, sevas that requires the deity's presence outside the garbha griham (sanctum sanctorum). Other terms used for Dhruva Bera include Moolavar or Moola Virat (Main Deity), Achala (Main).
Tirumala Dhruva Bera is considered to be Swayambhu
- self-manifested and not created by human. According to Sri Venkatachala Mahatyam
, Lord Venkateswara came to reside in this sacred spot to provide blessings to devotees in the Kali Yuga. The idol does not conform to the agamas (rules) for making a deity, thus furthering the belief that the temple's idol is Swayambhu.
The face of the idol has exquisite features, with the nose neither flat nor prominent. The eyes are prominent and has the outline of 'namam' though it is not projected out of the idol. The eyes are partially covered with the namam made of pachakarpuram (raw camphor
). The size, shape and details of the namam are governed by strict rules laid by the Vaikhanasa agamam
. The idol has a crown carved up to the forehead and jatajuta (curly hair) resting on the shoulder. The chest is estimated to be between 36 to 40 inches in width and the waist would be between 24 to 27 inches, though there has never been a formal measurement of these statistics. Since the upper body is bare, features of the chest are prominently seen with the main feature being the image of a sitting Sridevi
carved on the right side of the chest. The image of lakshmi is integral to the idol. The idol has 4 arms. The upper arms in the position to hold his weapons though the Chakram
and Conch
are not integral to the idol. The removable Sudarshana chakram is placed on the upper right arm while the Panchajanya - Vishnu's conch is placed on the upper left arm. The lower right arm is in the Varada Hasta pose - palms facing outward towards the onlooker to signal boon giving nature of the lord. The lower left arm is in the Katyavalambita pose - palm facing the lord with the thumb nearly parallel to the waist. The idol is seen with a dhoti
worn waist downwards. Both the knees are slightly bent forward to indicate that the Lord is willing to come to the devotee's rescue. The shoulder of the lord has marks resembling scars made by constant wearing of bow and pack of arrows though the idol is not in the Tribhanga pose (unlike Tirumala Rama Idol
)
s are seen on the idol. The idol also has a two inch katibandham (waist band) running over the dhoti. The arms have armlets and the legs have ornaments near the ankle. The lord sports ear ornaments also.
, the Kautuka beram of the temple receives full abhishekam every day in lieu of the Dhruva bera. Sahasranamarchana - recital of 1,000 names of Lord Srinivasa is performed to the main deity after the completion of Tomala seva. Naivedyam (food offerings) are made thrice during the day and is preceded by recital from various scriptures. Following the first naivedyam (also called First Bell), verses from Prabandham is read. Before the mid-day and second naivedyam (also called Second Bell), Ashthottaranama (108 names of the Lord) is read and this is a private service. The rituals of Tomala Seva, Archana and Naivedyam is conducted in the evening after Malayappa swami
returns from Sahasra Deepalankarana Seva and is called Night Kainkaryams. Naivedyam is offered to other idols only after apportionment of the same to the main deity.
s, jilebis
, appam deposited on the edges is offered to the Lord with appropriate mantras.. On Fridays, Abhishekam is performed accomponied by the chanting of pancha suktas (five suktas - Purusha Suktam, Sri Suktam, Narayana Suktam, Bhu Suktam and Nila Suktam) and prabhandams.
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple ), is a Hindu temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. It is around from Chennai, from Hyderabad, and from Bangalore....
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
. Dhruva Bera is the official terminology used for the main deity of a temple with the exact translation being The Immobile image and as the name suggests, the idol is stationary and other idols are used for pujas, sevas that requires the deity's presence outside the garbha griham (sanctum sanctorum). Other terms used for Dhruva Bera include Moolavar or Moola Virat (Main Deity), Achala (Main).
Tirumala Dhruva Bera is considered to be Swayambhu
Swayambhu
Swayambhu means Self-manifested or that which is created by its own accord.-Vaishnavism:Based on details in Bhagavata Purana and Matsya Purana, Narayana or Krishna is said to be the Self-manifested Swayambhu form of Brahman as the first cause of creation...
- self-manifested and not created by human. According to Sri Venkatachala Mahatyam
Legend of Tirumala
Sri Venkatachala Mahatyam is the most accepted legend with respect to Tirumala, which provides the history of the temple across the various yugas.-Varaha Kshetra:...
, Lord Venkateswara came to reside in this sacred spot to provide blessings to devotees in the Kali Yuga. The idol does not conform to the agamas (rules) for making a deity, thus furthering the belief that the temple's idol is Swayambhu.
Idol description
The dhruva bera stands approximately ten feet tall< and stands a platform of about 18 inches. The platform follows a simple lotus design and the details of the any inscription on the platform is unknown to anyone except the temple's archakas (priests). The platform is usually covered in tulsi leaves except on Thursday afternoon and during Friday abhishekam.The face of the idol has exquisite features, with the nose neither flat nor prominent. The eyes are prominent and has the outline of 'namam' though it is not projected out of the idol. The eyes are partially covered with the namam made of pachakarpuram (raw camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
). The size, shape and details of the namam are governed by strict rules laid by the Vaikhanasa agamam
Vaikhanasas
Vaikhānasa is one of the principal traditions of Hinduism and primarily worships Vishnu as the Supreme God.The followers are mainly brahmins of Krishna Yajurveda Taittiriya Shakha and Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra. The name Vaikhānasa stands for both the followers as well as the fundamental philosophy...
. The idol has a crown carved up to the forehead and jatajuta (curly hair) resting on the shoulder. The chest is estimated to be between 36 to 40 inches in width and the waist would be between 24 to 27 inches, though there has never been a formal measurement of these statistics. Since the upper body is bare, features of the chest are prominently seen with the main feature being the image of a sitting Sridevi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
carved on the right side of the chest. The image of lakshmi is integral to the idol. The idol has 4 arms. The upper arms in the position to hold his weapons though the Chakram
Chakram
The chakram , sometimes called a war quoit, is a throwing weapon from India. Its shape is of a flat metal hoop with a sharp outer edge from in diameter...
and Conch
Conch
A conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....
are not integral to the idol. The removable Sudarshana chakram is placed on the upper right arm while the Panchajanya - Vishnu's conch is placed on the upper left arm. The lower right arm is in the Varada Hasta pose - palms facing outward towards the onlooker to signal boon giving nature of the lord. The lower left arm is in the Katyavalambita pose - palm facing the lord with the thumb nearly parallel to the waist. The idol is seen with a dhoti
Dhoti
The dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
worn waist downwards. Both the knees are slightly bent forward to indicate that the Lord is willing to come to the devotee's rescue. The shoulder of the lord has marks resembling scars made by constant wearing of bow and pack of arrows though the idol is not in the Tribhanga pose (unlike Tirumala Rama Idol
Tirumala Rama Idol
Tirumala Rama idol is one of the deities in the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Andhra Pradesh. While the temple is dedicated to worship of lord Vishnu as Venkateswara, it contains the idols of some of Vishnu's other avatars: Rama and Krishna...
)
Ornaments
Tirumala Dhruva bera has a number of ornaments as seen on the idol. The yagnopavitam (sacred thread) is seen on the bare chest of the lord running from the left shoulder to the right waist. Four sets of necklaceNecklace
A necklace is an article of jewellery which is worn around the neck. Necklaces are frequently formed from a metal jewellery chain. Others are woven or manufactured from cloth using string or twine....
s are seen on the idol. The idol also has a two inch katibandham (waist band) running over the dhoti. The arms have armlets and the legs have ornaments near the ankle. The lord sports ear ornaments also.
Daily seva
The lord gets complete attention during most of the rituals conducted in the garbha griha. After, the lord is woken up during the Suprabhatam Seva, Suddhi (cleansing) is done by removal of flowers from the previous day and apportionment of holy water bought from Akasa Ganga thirtam for the day's prayer. During Tomala Seva, the gold kavacham (armour) of the feet is removed and abhishekam is done daily to it. Bhoga SrinivasaBhoga Srinivasa
Bhoga Srinivasa is a silver deity that is a near replica of the main deity of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. The lord is also known as Manavalapperumal or Kautuka Bera. The deity is utilized for performing daily Abhishekam ceremony and daily Ekanta Seva...
, the Kautuka beram of the temple receives full abhishekam every day in lieu of the Dhruva bera. Sahasranamarchana - recital of 1,000 names of Lord Srinivasa is performed to the main deity after the completion of Tomala seva. Naivedyam (food offerings) are made thrice during the day and is preceded by recital from various scriptures. Following the first naivedyam (also called First Bell), verses from Prabandham is read. Before the mid-day and second naivedyam (also called Second Bell), Ashthottaranama (108 names of the Lord) is read and this is a private service. The rituals of Tomala Seva, Archana and Naivedyam is conducted in the evening after Malayappa swami
Malayappa swami
Malayappa swami is the current utsava murti in Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala. Malayappa swami is worshipped during religious ceremonies and processions wherein it would be innapropriate to use the main deity...
returns from Sahasra Deepalankarana Seva and is called Night Kainkaryams. Naivedyam is offered to other idols only after apportionment of the same to the main deity.
Weekly sevas
Apart from these daily sevas, Ashtadala Pada Padmaaradhana Seva is conducted every Tuesday after the second bell. During the ceremony, the priests reads each of the 108 names of the Lord while offering a gold lotus to the feet of the lord after the recital of the name. On completion of archana for the lord's consorts, two kinds of arati is shown to the Lord. On Thursdays, Tiruppavada Seva is performed to Dhruva bera in the Tirumamani mantapam inside the sanctum sanctorum. During the seva, large quantities of pulihora (tamarid rice) heaped in trapeziodal or pyramidal shape along with sweetmeats like payasam, ladduLaddu
Laddu or Laddoo is a ball-shaped sweet popular in South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh as well as countries with immigrants from South Asia. Laddu is made of flour and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe...
s, jilebis
Jalebi
-Further reading:*Epicure's Delectable Desserts of the World By Asha Khatau ISBN 81-7991-119-5...
, appam deposited on the edges is offered to the Lord with appropriate mantras.. On Fridays, Abhishekam is performed accomponied by the chanting of pancha suktas (five suktas - Purusha Suktam, Sri Suktam, Narayana Suktam, Bhu Suktam and Nila Suktam) and prabhandams.