Who Built Tirupati Temple? / When was Tirumala Tirupati Temple Built?

The Chronology of Tiruvengadam Temple Building:

1.The idol is stated to have buried inside an ant hill. It was discovered by some cowherds and reported it to the King Tondaiman in the first century BC or AD. King Thondaiman built a temple to house the idol. Whether the temple was of cut stone, brick in mud or wood, we are not told.

2.Account of the Temple found in Tamil classic Silappadhikaram states that the idol on the hill represented Vishnu (Sengan Nediyon). Silapadhikaram is probably written in 2nd / 3rd AD. The description states that the Sun and the Moon illumined the deity shows that there is no covering at the top or that the covering was of a pavilion type.

3.Alvars who flourished in the 8th and 9th centuries, who sang the glories of the lord referred only the sanctity of the Hill, not the temple.

4.The present temple would have built later during the Pallava regime and the temple is not built at one and the same time.

5.Garbhagraham and ante chamber was built at the end of 9th century or early 10th century.

6.Some reconsecration of the deity done by Sri Ramanujan ir 1130. At that point in time there was no Gopuram.

7.Between 1330 till 1370, Sri Ranganathar idol of Sri Rangam was kept here as there was no safe place other than the Hill they found after the attack of Malik Kafur on Sri Rangam.Till this time there is no account of Telugu or Kannada or other pilgrims to this temple. Attack on Sri Rangam, Kanchi and Madurai brought Telugu Speaking Pallavas, Kannada Speaking Chalukyas and Hoyslas together on the hills to see Sri Ranganathar and to liberate Tamil Country.

8.The extension of the temple structures even extends upto the 15th and 16th centuries. Endowmenting the villages started from Saluva Narasimha of Vijayanagara Empire in 1480 followed by the famous emperor Krishna Devearya and Achuta Raya.

9.Pushkarni steps are constructed by Tirumala Iyengar in 16th Century.After the defeat in Talikota in 1565, the Aravidu dyansty of Vijayanagara Empire lasted another 95 years and they patronsied the temple till 1660.

All the above 9 points are based on the research publications.

SARVAM SRI NARAYANAYETHE SAMARPAYAAMI Penned only by Na Ra Mohan.