VENKATACHALA LEGEND

" A pertinent question. But it is a very long legend consuming hours. Let me first complete the other hill legends. As said in the beginning all the Saptagiri's have their own legends and the origin of each odd and awe-inspiring. In Varaha purana, there is an elaborate account of these hills and their glory. The hill bears several names such as Jnanadri, Vrishadri, Narayanadri, Thirthadri, Pushkaradri, Vaikuntadri, Simhadri, Nilagiri, Varahagiri, Anandadri, Srinivasagiri, Chintamani etc. As it was brought here from Vaikunta by Garuda, it is call Garudadri; Kridadri; for, it was on this lovely land, He was playing sports and enacting Jagannataka; as it embodies many sacred thirthas, it was fittingly named Thirthadri; Pushkaradri due to existence of pushkarnis numberless; Kanakadris, for it was glittering like gold; Vaikuntadri, as it was brought from Vaikunta; Narayanadri, on account of dirgha tapas performed by a pious brahmin named Narayana; Niladri, due to dwelling of Neela, a devout vanara for yugas; Simhadri, for it is here Mahavishnu incarnating as Narasimha went to save Balaprahalada; Anandadri; for, here bliss over-flows eternally; Srinivasagiri on account of Lord Srinivasa's living; Chintamani, for it bestows, like the celestial Chintamani, anything pious bhaktas desire and Sri Sailam, for it was sanctified by the padasparsa of Sri Mahalakshmi. Hence the word is in circulation that whoever may be the devotee, standing in the direction of the hill from any part of the world pays homage to it, he is freed from the misery of passing through the vicious circle of births and deaths and reaches heaven, no matter where he lives, say thousands miles off also. That is the glory of the hill and that accounts for its visitation by millions and millions of bhaktas. "

"Uncle, Uncle could this not be called then the Varadadri, on account of the Lord's bounteous boons showered on the ardent devotees."

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