Mela Tirupati Temple - Chennai

If you live in Chennai and want to visit Tirupati Balaji Temple but could not travel due to some reasons, don't worry. There is Mela Tirupati Temple located in Chennai. The deity is a replica of Srinivasa Perumal of Tirupati.

Mela Tirupati Temple is located in a peaceful location in Medavakkam in Chennai. The high roads of Medavakkam are busy and congested, but the area surrounding the temple is unbelievably peaceful. In fact, one would get the feel of a village and not of a city.

The temple is located on top of a small hill. Instead of steps, there is a slope way which is more accessible even for the aged people to climb up the hill.

The temple is small, with three main shrines, a cluster of other sub-shrines, and a prakara. The flagstaff and bali peetha are found. There is no tower. It is a stone temple. Although the temple's history is unknown, it appears to be 300-400 years old to me.

The sanctum enshrines Srinivasa Perumal, a.k.a. Balaji. It's a small icon but resembles Tirupati Balaji. Garuda is found facing toward this sanctum. The utsava murtis of Srinivasa Perumal, Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi are situated in the sanctum.

On the right side of the east-facing sanctum, the shrine of Padmasini Thayar is found. She is found with four arms and is in a sitting posture. Facing her, the sub-shrine of Hanuman is found.

The sub-shrine of Andal is found on the left side of the sanctum. All the bronze utsav icons of the temple are located in this shrine. It includes the beautiful Rama-Sita-Lakshman-Hanuman, extremely attractive Andal, Tirumangai Alwar, Sudarshan, Ramanuja, Lakshmi Narasimha and Lakshmi Varaha.

Adi Varaha, in the standing posture, is found in a separate sub-shrine. Sudarshana with Narasimha on his backside, Pattabhi Rama along with Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, Venu Gopala (Krishna), Rama Padhuka and Yoga Narasimha are also found individually in separate sub-shrines.

Happy travelling.