Tirumala

The ritual of offering food or Naivedyam to Lord Venkateshwara – a manifestation of Lord Vishnu – at the Tirumala Temple has existed since eternity, when Lord Vishnu decided to descend on Earth in the archa form or as an idol that can be worshipped. He commissioned Sage Vaikhanasa to prepare the ancient religious text ‘Agama Shastra’, which gives an elaborate description of the rituals to be conducted in the Tirumala Temple, the ingredients to be used to prepare prasadams, procedures for a priest to follow, precautions to be taken, and the Veda mantras to be recited at each step.

This volume gives an inside view of the ancient rituals of offering food to Lord Venkateshwara, which even today are practised according to the procedures prescribed by the Agama Shastra. It provides detailed descriptions of the various kinds of food offerings made, with specifications about the quantity, ingredients, preparation, variety of food, and particular times when they should be served. The book covers all the food offerings made to the Gods from morning till evening, such as the major offerings of Bala Bhogam (in the morning), Raja Bhogam (during the day), and Shyana Bhogam (in the evening); offerings made on festivals and special days; offerings to other Gods in the temple; offerings made at the time of natural disasters; and so on.

A V Ramana Dikshitulu

AV Ramana Dikshitulu is the 37th descendent of Vaikhanasa Archaka Gopinath and the head priest at the lord Venkateshwara temple at tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. He holds a doctorate in molecular biology and is an inimitable authority on the Agamas, the crucially important Vedic scriptures.

Kota Neelima

Kota Neelima has been a political journalist for over twenty years. She is former political editor at The Sunday Guardian, focussing on politics, democratic reforms, and issues concerning rural poor in India. Her recent publications include Tirupati:A Guide to Life (2012), Shoes of the Dead (2013), and The Honest Season (2016).