History of Balaji Temple

There is plenty literary & epigraphic testimony to the antiquity of the temple of God Tirupati Balaji. All the great rulers, nobles and chieftains of the Andhra Pradesh as well as India have paid worship to Lord Balaji in this antique temple.

In 9th century, The Pallavas who was the rulers of Kancheepuram, after that The Cholas who was the rulers of Thanjavur, The Pandyas who was the rulers of Madurai, & all the rulers and Chieftains of Vijayanagar were great devotees of the GOD Venkateshwara & they competed with one-another in endowing the temple with rich offerings and contributions. Due to the rule of Vijayanagar dynasty, the contributions to the temple increased gradually. Shree Krishnadevaraya had statues of himself and his consorts installed at the portals of the temple & these statues can be seen today also. There is also one statue of Venkatapati Raya in the main temple.

After the decline of Vijayanagar dynasty the rule of contribution was not over. Many Nobles and Chieftains from all parts of the country continued to pay their worship and offer gifts to the Tirumala temple. Raghoji Bhonsle, the Maratha general, visited the Tirupati Balaji Temple and set up a permanent endowment for the conduct of worship in the temple. He also offered valuable jewels & large emerald to the God Tirupati Balaji. The large emerald which is still preserved in a box named after the General.

After the collapse of the Hindu kingdoms, the Muslim rulers of Karnataka and then the Britishers took over the responsibility of Balaji temple, & many of the temples came under their administrative and defensive control. In India, when the mastery started rising in 1843 AD, the managerial activities of the Tirupati Balaji Temple were controled by Mahants of the Hatiramji Mutt.

In 1933 AD, the Chennai government took over and handed the reins of administration to an autonomous body known as the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanam Committee.
Again in 1951, the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanam was reconstituted with a board of trustees.