Andhra Pradesh News: The world famous Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy (Balaji) temple located at Tirumala is known all over the world for its grandeur, miracles and unique traditions. Generally, in the sanctum sanctorum of every Hindu temple, there are small bells to be rung during the puja-aarti, but this is not the case in the main sanctum sanctorum of Tirumala. On the one hand, behind the absence of a bell inside the sanctum sanctorum, there is a very beautiful folk tale related to Shri Vedanta Desika, a great devotee of God and Vaishnav saint. On the other hand, there are strict rules of the ancient ‘Vaikhanasa Agama’ scripture behind it. Let us know the complete inside story of this mystery.
According to traditional beliefs and local folklore, the absence of a bell in the sanctum sanctorum of Tirumala is linked to the birth of Sri Vedanta Desika, a great saint of the Vaishnava tradition. In ancient times, there lived a deeply devotee married couple named Drothamba and Anant Surya. Even after twelve years of marriage, they did not have any child. With the desire to have a child, both of them worshiped Lord Venkateshwara intensely in Tirumala.
Pleased with their steadfast devotion, one night Lord Venkateswara Swami appeared to both of them in their dreams. The Lord offered the divine bell in his hand to Drothamba as Prasad and ordered him to swallow it and blessed that a great divine son would be born in his house. When the husband and wife woke up in the morning, they found that both of them had had the same dream.
The main bell of the temple disappeared
Next morning when the priests of the temple opened the doors, the main bell of the sanctum sanctorum was missing from there. Initially the priests thought that the couple had stolen the bell. But then God appeared to the meditating chief priest and explained that he himself had given that bell to Drothamba and from that divine part a great man would be born. It is believed that after this incident no small bell was kept again in the sanctum sanctorum of Tirumala.
The great saint Sri Vedanta Desika was the incarnation of the bell!
As per the words of God, a wonderful child named Vedanta Desika was born to Drothamba and Anant Surya, who was considered to be the incarnation of the bell of God. Child Desika displayed extraordinary intelligence since childhood. He composed great texts in Tamil and Sanskrit. After Jagadguru Ramanujacharya, he was considered the greatest pillar to strengthen the Vaishnav tradition. On the instructions of her maternal uncle, Desika rigorously chanted the Garuda Mantra on a hill in Thiruvahindrapuram, Tamil Nadu. Garuda Dev appeared and gave him the idol and mantra of Lord Hayagriva (god of knowledge). With the blessings of Hayagriva Dev, he immediately composed ‘Haygriva Stuti’ consisting of 32 verses, after which he got the title of ‘Kavitarki Kesari’.
defeated enemies through miracles
He got Kanakdhara (gold coins) showered by reciting Shri Stuti in the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. When his enemies challenged him to compose a thousand verses in one night, he composed ‘Paduka Sahasram’ even before dawn. When the enemies released poisonous snakes on him, he recited Garuda Dandakam, hearing which the Garuda bird came and picked up the snake. During the Mughal attack on Srirangam, he protected the sacred Vaishnava literature by hiding under a pile of dead bodies.
What is the legal rule of scientific and Agama Shastra?
Apart from folklore, if we look at the administrative and classical aspects of the temple, there is a solid technical reason for the absence of a bell in the sanctum sanctorum. The Tirumala Temple Administration (TTD) has not officially declared any specific reason for the absence of the bell. However, according to the Agama scriptures, the construction style and worship methods of every temple are different. The ancient Vaikhanasa Agama tradition is followed in letter and spirit in the Tirumala temple, according to whose rules the internal arrangement of the sanctum sanctorum is governed.
Ghanta Mandapam of Vijayanagara period: where huge bells still ring
Even though there is no bell inside the main sanctum, there is a historic bell mandapam just outside the temple, also known as ‘Mahamani Mandapam’. This mandapam is situated right in front of the ‘Bangaru Vakili’ (Golden Gate) of the temple. It was built in 1461 AD by Mallanna, resident of Chandragiri, the then minister of Vijayanagara Empire. In the southern part of this mandapam, two very huge bells are hanging from heavy iron chains on a wooden platform. The special Brahmin who rings these bells is called ‘Ghantapani’. These bells are rung loudly when Mahaprasad (Naivedya) is offered to Lord Venkateswara Swamy.
According to the history of the Vijayanagara Empire, when the emperor camped in the fort of Chandragiri, several sub-ghanta mandapas were built amidst the hills from Tirumala to Chandragiri. As soon as the bell was rung in Tirumala, the bells of other pavilions were rung in series. In Chandragiri Fort, the kings used to take their meals only after hearing the sound of these bells. Even today, many devotees eat food in Tirumala only after the ringing of these bells.
Disclaimer: From the point of view of spiritual and folk beliefs, this story of absence of bell in Tirumala sanctum sanctorum and Sant Vedanta Desika is very interesting and full of faith. However, according to historical and legal sources, there is no authentic or written document available for this story. This story is not recorded in the official history of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), Venkatachal Mahatmyam, Varaha Purana or authentic Vaishnava traditional texts. There is no clear mention of this specific incident even in the authentic biography of Saint Vedanta Desika. Therefore, it would be justified to consider it as a part of the unwavering faith of the devotees and folk tradition rather than a historical truth.
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