On March 14, TTD began the gold plating of Tirupati temple with a special puja to the golden Lakshmi image near main sanctum. A 100 kilos of gold is required to convert the entire temple and its precincts, into a golden complex. The Tirumala, Tirupati Devastanam decided to finance the project through the donations from devotees. They invited donations on October 1, 2008. Over 20 kgs of gold were received that very day. Until now, according to temple sources, the management has received over 60 kgs of gold and hundreds of thousands of rupees for the gold-plating. The diety who thus loosened purse strings is Lord Venkatesa/ Venkataramana/ Balaji, whose temple is atop the seventh of ‘Tirumala” (holy hills) where he is worshipped as Tirupati (Lord of Lakshmi: Vishnu) in Chittoor District, south Andhra Pradesh.
It takes a four to five hour climb and long, slow queues which you join after buying a token to reach the target: Venkatadri (adri in Sanskrit means hill), which houses the garbhagriha (main shrine) of Lord Balaji. The Venkatam or Venkataddri Hills is believed to be a part of the celestial mount, Meru, brought to earth from Vaikuntam (heaven) by Garuda.
Situated 2,820 feet above sea level, Tirupati is about 100 square meters in area. To reach the main temple you have to cross the first six hills – Seshadri, Vedadri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vri-shabhadri and Narayanadri.
Balaji inspires several industries from manufacturing pins to prasadam. He has several educational institutions offering higher technical and management education and specialty hosptals running under his benevolence. But if Balaji is seriously into investment and earnings, He as the reason, says the sthalapuranam or founding the legend of Tirupati.
He has a huge debt to clear, for he took a loan for his weddind to his beloved Padmavati from Kubera, Lord of Wealth. Even today, after centuries of depositing all his earnings. He is still repaying only the interest component of loan that he took for his splendid marraiage.