The Tirumala Hill is 3,200 feet (980 m) above sea level, and is about 10.33 square miles (27 km2) in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven hoods of Adisesha, thus earning the name Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri. The temple is situated on Venkatadri (also known as Venkatachala or Venkata Hill), the seventh peak, and hence is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills (Saptagiri in Sanskrit). The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Venkateswara, a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is also known by other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The temple lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank. The temple complex comprises a traditional temple building, along with a number of modern queue and pilgrim lodging sites.
The temple is the richest piligrimage center. The most visited place of worship in the world. The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily (30 to 40 million people annually on average), while on special occasions and festivals, like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000, making it the most-visited holy place in the world.
There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord in Tirumala. According to one legend, the temple has a murti (deity) of Lord Venkateswara, which it is believed shall remain here for the entire duration of the present Kali Yuga. Tirumala has remained a highly-frequented pilgrimage site in Tamilakam throughout most of its history, and was a principle temple in the country of Tondai Nadu prior to the territory being transferred to Andhra Pradesh in the 20th century CE. Patronized by the Pallava, Pandyan, Chola, and Vijayanagara dynasties for over a millenium, the temple is a foremost abode of the 108 Divya Desams. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, it is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil literature canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE.
