KIRAN ATMA: Shrivaishnava society

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Hinduism - Who Is Venkateshvara In The Hindu Pantheon?

("Venkata [HillLord]") The presiding deity of the Venkateshvara temple in Andhra Pradesh, near Tirupati.

The temple is located north and east of Madras.

Venkateshvara is a local deity who has been adopted into the greater pantheon as a manifestation of Vishnu.

The temple is located in the Tirumalai hills, which are made up of seven hills that are said to resemble the seven cobra hoods of Shesha, the fabled snake that acts as Vishnu's couch.

Venkateshvara's picture is unique in that he has a plate covering his forehead.

The Tengalais and Vadagalais, two branches of the Shrivaishnava society, each wear specific sectarian insignia on their images, and this plate hides these markings on the picture, allowing both groups to claim him as their own.

Venkateshvara is also known for having India's most valuable temple.

People go from all across the nation to Tirupati, partly because it is widely believed that any request expressed in the presence of the deity would be fulfilled unfailingly.

Aside from large monetary gifts, it is usual for pilgrims to have their heads shaved as a token of their presence and to give a hair donation.

Since independence, the temple's riches has been managed by a trust, which has paid special attention to publishing, educational institutions, and assisting in the construction of Hindu temples outside of India.

~Kiran Atma

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Hinduism - Who Are The Tengalai?

Tengalai is one of the two primary subsects of the Shrivaishnava religious group, with Vadagalai being the other.

The Shrivaishnavas are worshippers of the deity Vishnu (bhakta), and their origins may be traced back to the Alvars, a group of twelve poet-saints who lived in southern India during the seventh and tenth centuries and wrote devotional poems.

The Alvars' religious outpouring was structured and systematized by the philosopher Ramanuja (11th century), who is regarded as the Shrivaishnava founder, two centuries later.

Ramanuja believed that Brahman, or Supreme Reality, was a personal god rather than an impersonal abstract concept, and that the most significant kind of religious activity was devotion (bhakti).

His philosophical position, Vishishthadvaita Vedanta, emphasized both of these convictions, and thus stood in opposition to the Advaita Vedanta school, which was founded by the philosopher Shankaracharya and believed that the Supreme Being was impersonal and that realization (jnana) was the best spiritual path.

The Tengalais and Vadagalais separated many centuries after Ramanuja, and it was caused by differing ideas on what an individual must do to achieve ultimate soul freedom (moksha).

The Tengalais emphasize the importance of complete submission (prapatti) to God's mercy, through which devotees are rescued without having to do anything; the Vadagalais emphasize the importance of devotees exerting themselves on their own behalf.

Pillai Lokacharya (14th century), who is also the community's most revered person, was the Tengalai's founder.