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*TALES FROM SAPTHAGIRI*

Sapthagiri, the Seven Hills is verily a Bhuloka Vaikuntam which is believed to remove all sins by mere smarana – act of remembrance. Further, mythologies extol the glory of the Hills tracing their antiquity to time immemorial – when they were called by different names in different yugas – Vrishabhachala in Kritayuga, Anjanachala in Tretayuga , Seshachala in Dwaparayuga and finally Venkatachala in Kaliyuga.

The Lord has been abiding here in Tirumala amidst seven peaks of the Nallamalai Hills, on the Eastern Ghats. These hills with their seven peaks bear semblance to the seven hooded Adisesha of Vaikunta, and are known by the names Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrishabhadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri.It is described that the pilgrim town Kalahasti is deemed its mouth; Ahobalam, its back; Srisailam its tail; and lastly Tirumala its head.

*SESHADRI*

The most important peak among the Saptagiris is Seshadri, named after Adisesha.. There is a story behind this hill. During Dwapara Yuga, Vayu (wind god) reached Vaikuntam to visit Lord Vishnu. Adisesha did not allow him inside as Vishnu was taking rest with his consort Lakshmi Devi. Vayu was not ready to go back without meeting Vishnu, and they started to argue with each other. Vishnu himself came to them, but they still continued the argument, that one is better than the other. Finally Vishnu said Adisesha should hold the peak of Meru Mountain and Vayu should try to blow him off the mountain. Whoever won would be declared stronger than the other. So, a mighty and prolonged contest began: Vayu used all his power to blow away the mountain but he could not move it. After sometime out of curiosity, Adisesha lifted his head to see what Vayu was doing .. In a fraction of a second Vayu moved the peak along with Adishesa and dropped them at banks of river Swarnamukhi. According to Bhavisya Puranam this hill is called as Seshadri or Seshachalam.

*NEELADRI*

When Lord Srinivasa was hit by a shepherd on his head, a small portion of his scalp became bald. The Gandharva princess, Neeladevi noticed this and felt that such a handsome face should not have any defect. Immediately she cut a portion of her hair and implanted it on his scalp with her powers. As hair is considered as a beautiful aspect of women, Lord Srinivasa noticed her sacrifice :Neeladevi was the first devotee who offered her hair to Him.Hence, Lord Srinivasa named this hill as Neeladri. and declared that all the hair given to Him by devotees in Tirupathi belonged to Neeladevi. This is how the common practice of cutting the hair and offering it to the Lord as a symbolic gesture of losing our ego came into being.

*GARUDADRI*

Garuda (Vishnu’s Vahana) killed his cousin Kadru’s children, the nagas. After killing the snakes he started praying to Lord Vishnu to wash away the sin, Lord Vishnu was pleased by his prayers and came before Garuda who requested Him to allow him to come back to Vaikuntam. Lord Vishnu said He himself would be coming as a Swayambhu on the Seven Hills and asked him to stay on in the form of a hill, called by the name Garudadri.


*ANJANADRI*

Kesari, the king of Vanaras (monkeys), married Anjana Devi. They were childless for many years. So Anjana went to a hill near Akasa Ganga and did penance for several years. Later Vayu Deva gave a fruit to Anjana. As a result of eating the fruit she gave birth to Lord Hanuman. As Anjana did penance on this hill it is called as Anjanadri.

*VRUSHABADRI*

In Kruthayuga, near Thumbura Theertha in Tirumala there lived a demon named Vrushabhasura. He was such a staunch devotee of Lord Siva that He used to cut his head daily and offer it as nivedanam to Lord Siva. Every time he cut his head he used to get a new head. Lord Siva was pleased by his prayers and came before him. Vrushabhasura asked Lord Siva to fight with him. Lord Siva accepted it and the war went on for many days and finally Vrushabhasura was defeated. Before dying as a mark of his attaining salvation at that place, he asked Lord Siva to name that hill by his name. So this hill is called Vrushabadri.

*NARAYANADRI*

Narada Maharshi wanted to do penance to see Lord Vishnu. He took the advice of Lord Brahma and did penance at an appropriate place where there was no disturbance. Lord Vishnu who was pleased by his prayers, appeared before Narada who asked Vishnu to grant a boon so that the hill would be popular by his name. So this hill is called by his name Narayanadri.

*VENKATADRI*

According to Bhavisyothara Puranam this is the place where Garuda brought Lord Vishnu from Vaikuntam. “VEM” means “sin” “KATA” means remove. This means all sins will be removed in presence of the god. So this hill is called as Venkatadri.
Venkata also means the one that is a treasure of divine knowledge (moksha jnaana); bestows moksha (salvation).The sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatadri.