1. Tirupati Laddu Has A GI Patent
Yes, it’s true! Tirupathi laddu has a GI patent, which is only granted to identify a product as having specific provenance. The prasad laddu at Tirupati Balaji is arguably the first offering at any place of worship to be recognised as an intellectual property, in this case, of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), that manages the temple.
2. The Temple Is The Most Visited Place of Worship In The World
Tirumala temple is visited by about 50 thousand to one lakh pilgrims daily. And, when it is a festival or a special occasion like Brahmotsavam, the number of devotees shoot up to 5 lakhs, making it the most-visited holy place in the world.
3. Lord Balaji’s Idol Maintains 110 Degree F Temperature Always
Tirumala Tirupati temple is located at the height of 3200 feet, and the surroundings are cool. Irrespective of this fact, the idol of Lord Balaji remains at a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Every morning, after the bath ritual, droplets of sweat appear on the idol of Lord Balaji. On Thursdays, when the priests remove the ornaments of the idol for a holy bath, it is said that they come off with a sensation of warmth.
4. Oil Lamps Placed in Front of The Idol Are Perpetually Lit
Earthen lamps are placed before the deity for worshipping in the sanctum sanctorum of Tirupati Balaji Temple. The amazing thing is that these lamps have never been put off and no one knows the time when these were first lit up. All that is known is that they have been burning for hundreds of years and will continue to do so.
5. Flowers Offered at The Temple Come Out 20 Km Away
At Tirupati temple, the flowers offered to Lord Balaji during morning worship are not thrown out of the Garbha Gudi (sanctum sanctorum). Instead, they are thrown into the waterfall that flows behind the rear side of the idol. Afterwards, the priests refrain from looking at the back side of the deity for the rest of the day. Interestingly, the discarded flowers can be seen at Yerpedu, 20 km from Tirupati.
6. Lord Balaji’s Idol Survives Strong Chemical Reaction
The idol of Lord Venkateswara (Lord Balaji’s another name) is adorned daily with Pachai Karpooram, a derivative of Cinnamomum camphora tree. It is known to be a highly volatile substance that leads to cracks and fissures on a stone. But not so in Lord Balaji’s case. The idol of Tirupati Balaji is resistant to the volatile chemical reactions of the substance even when it remains smeared with it most of the time.
