Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India, is one of  the best known travel spots of  pilgrimage where millions flock to worship Lord Venkateshwara (Balaji). The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu, the preserver in the Hindu Trinity. The goddess of wealth Lakshmi is his consort. The seven hills of Tirumala are believed to represent the seven hoods of Vishnu’s serpent, Adi sesha.

The temple is believed to be more than 2000 years old. Under the patronage of the Southern royal dynasties of the Cholas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagara, the temple accumulated wealth and is regarded as one of the richest shrines in the world. It is administered by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. Considered to be one of the 108 most sacred Vaishnava temples in India referred to collectively as Tirupathis, the temple is one of the finest examples of South Indian temple architecture.

Pilgrims visiting the temple of Lord Venkateshwara also visit Varaha swamy temple and take a dip in Swamipushkar Tirtha which is about ten miles away. Other places of interest include Bedi Anjaneya, a temple dedicated to Hanuman, Goddess Padmavati temple at Tiruchanur and Kalyana Venkateshwara Swamy temple at Srinivasamangapuram.