Hathiram Bhavaji

Last updated

Hathiram Bhavaji (हाथीराम भावजी)
A picture at Tirumala near temple.jpeg
Hathiram Bhavaji playing dice with Lord Venkateswara
Born
Hathiram Bairagi

Unknown (1500 CE)
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India
DiedUnknown
Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh, India
Resting placeUnmarked samadhi on Venkatadri Hill, Seshachalam, Tirumala
Other namesHathiram Baba
Known forBeing a devotee of Venkateswara

Hathiram Bhavaji or Hathiram Baba or Hathiram Bairagi [1] [2] was a saint from Dalpatpur Uparhar, Maya, Ayodhya who visited Tirumala around 1500 CE [3] on a pilgrimage and became a devotee of Lord Venkateswara. [4] [5] He settled there by setting up an ashram near the temple. According to a legend, he had the privilege of playing dice with Venkateswara.

Contents

The 1974 Kannada movie Sri Srinivasa Kalyana has the story of Bhavaji at the end, the role of Bhavaji played by Raja Shankar. The 2017 Telugu movie Om Namo Venkatesaya captures the story of Bhavaji in a great manner, with the role of Bhavaji played by Nagarjuna Akkineni.

Life

Hathiram was born into a middle-class family in the village Dalpatpur Uparhar in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. His real name was Aasa Ram Baljot. His Father's name was Des Raj Baljot. He has four brothers named, Kahna Ram, Meena Ram, Gulaba Ram and Budh Ram Baljot. His family moved to a Village Gunachaur near Banga city of Punjab. Every year on 5 Ashaad, people from Punjab and Himachala gather at village Gunachaur to pay tributes to Baba Hathiram. He stayed at Village Gunachaur for long time, then he left in the search of real God. The old name of village Gunachaur was "Tilla Raja Gopichand". According to legend Hathiram named Lord Venkateswara as Balaji. [6] Not much of historical data is available about his life. [7]

Hathiram was a devotee of Rama (an avatar of Vishnu). When he visited Tirumala, he decided to stay there and set up an ashram outside the temple. [4] Hathiram Bhavaji Mutt was established in his name in Tirumala. [8]

Legend

It is believed that Venkateswara was pleased with his devotion and used to come to his place to play dice with him. One day, the game went on for too long and the Lord suddenly remembered that he was getting late for the daily worship. In a hurry, He left one of his ornaments, a necklace, in Bhavaji's ashram. When the priests opened the temple the next day, they found that an ornament was missing, and instituted a search for it. Bhavaji also realized what happened, and wanted to return the ornament to the temple. He was however caught and house-arrested by the temple guards who thought he was the thief.

The matter reached the king, and he asked Bhavaji why he had stolen the ornament. Bhavaji narrated the incident of the previous night. The king expectedly did not believe the story and ordered his servants to fill the compound of Bhavaji's house with sugarcane, and asked Bhavaji to eat all of the sugarcane before dawn. If he failed, he will be sentenced to death. The king also asked his guards to stand outside the house to ensure that nobody went in. Since it was practically impossible to eat such a large amount of sugarcane for any human in one night, Bhavaji simply sat chanting the name of the Lord. After he eventually fell asleep, Venkateswara appeared in the form of a huge elephant appeared inside his home, finished the sugarcane within moments, and disappeared.

In the morning, the king was surprised to see all the sugarcane eaten. He verified with his guards that no elephant was seen the previous night outside the locked house. He then realized that the Lord himself had appeared as an elephant to save his devotee. The king was shocked and made Bhavaji the supervisor of the daily rituals performed at the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala. Hathi means elephant in Hindi, and Bhavaji frequently chanted Ram. That is how he supposedly got his name.

It is believed that he died in Sajeeva Samadhi by being "After obtaining the divine approval, these enlightened saints fix the time and date for merging with the Almighty by attaining Jeevasamadhi" wish with the consent of Venkateswara. It is believed that Hathiram is still alive in the form of a soul (Atma) and is carrying out the main rituals and services to the deity in the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala.

Hathiramji Mutt

The Hathiramji Mutt was established in his name was used to administer the Tirumala temple from 1843 to 1932 before the creation of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. [9] [10]

In the 1960 film, Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam, Chittor V. Nagaiah became the first actor to portray the role of Hathiram Bhavaji. In the 2017 Telugu film, Om Namo Venkatesaya , Nagarjuna Akkineni portrayed the role of Hathiram Bhavaji. Thus, South Indian plays or movies, specifically in the 1974 Kannada film, Sri Srinivasa Kalyana , adapted Hathiram Bhavaji in Venkateswara and Tirupati stories.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venkateswara</span> Major deity in Hinduism

Venkateswara, also known as Venkatachalapati, Balaji and Srinivasa, is a Hindu deity, described as a form or avatar of the god Vishnu. He is the presiding deity of Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati. His consorts, Padmavathi and Bhudevi, are avatars of the goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annamacharya</span> Indian musician and composer (1408–1503)

Tallapaka Annamacharya, also popularly known as Annamayya, was a Telugu musician, composer, and a Hindu saint. He is the earliest known Indian musician to compose songs called samkirtanas. His devotional samkirtanas were in the praise of Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu. Annamayya is said to have composed as many as 32,000 samkirtanas (songs) in the praise of Venkateswara of which only about 12,000 are available today. He wrote the highest number of Kirtanas of all time in the praise of Lord Vishnu The musical form of the kirtana songs that he composed, which are still popular among Carnatic music concert artists, have strongly influenced the structure of Carnatic music compositions. His compositions are classified as Adhyatma (spiritual) and Sringara (romantic). Annamacharya is remembered for his saintly life, as one of the greatest musicians and is honoured as a great devotee of Vishnu by devotees and saintly singers. He was one of the first few who opposed the social stigma towards the untouchable castes in his era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams</span> Hindu organization in Andhra Pradesh, India

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is an independent government trust in India managed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The trust primarily oversees the operations and finances of the richest and the most visited religious center Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala. It is also involved in various social, religious, literary and educational activities. TTD is headquartered at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India and employs about 16,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tirumala</span> Temple town in Andhra Pradesh

Tirumala is a spiritual place in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the neighbourhoods of the Tirupati city. The town is a part of Tirupati Urban Development Authority and located in Tirupati (urban) mandal of Tirupati revenue division. The town is strictly vegetarian. It is a hill town where Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is located, a popular shrine of Vishnu. Vishnu was considered to reside here with his full power, as in Vaikuntha, and thus the place was also called 'Bhuloka Vaikuntha'.

Maya is a town of Ayodhya district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Maya is 24 km away from district headquarters Ayodhya city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Srivari Brahmotsavam</span> Annual lunar festival

Sri Venkateswara Swami Vari Brahmotsavam or Srivari Brahmotsavam is the most significant annual fête celebrated at the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala-Tirupati, Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh, India. which falls between the Telugu calendar of Aasveeyujamu and the Gregorian calendar months of September or October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala</span> Hindu temple in Andhra Pradesh, India

The Venkateswara Temple of Tirumala, called Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple, is a Hindu temple situated in the hills of Tirumala at Tirupati Urban Mandal in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared on the earth to save mankind from trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. Hence the place is also known by the name Kaliyuga Vaikuntha and the deity here is referred to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam. The temple is also known by other names like Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple. Venkateswara is also known by other names including Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The temple is run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is under control of Andhra Pradesh Government. The head of TTD is appointed by Andhra Pradesh Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindu pilgrimage sites in India</span>

In Hinduism, the yatra (pilgrimage) to the tirthas has special significance for earning the punya needed to attain the moksha (salvation) by performing the darśana, the parikrama (circumambulation), the yajna, the Dhyana, the puja (worship), the prarthana, the dakshina, the seva, the bhandara, etc. These sacred places are usually located on the banks of sacred waters, such as sacred rivers or their tributaries, the kundas, the ghats, or the stepwells, or the temple tanks.

<i>Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam</i> 1960 Indian film

Sri Venkateswara Mahatmyam is 1960 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film directed by P. Pullaiah and produced by V. Venkateswarlu. It is based on the Venkateswara avatar of Vishnu at Tirumala. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Savitri, and S. Varalakshmi with music composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao. The film was dubbed into Tamil and released as Srinivasa Kalyanam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Venkatesa Perumal Temple (Melathiruppathi) – Mondipalayam</span> Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India

Sri Venkatesa Perumal Temple (Melathiruppathi) – Mondipalayam is counted among the noted Vishnu temples of Kongunadu. The image of the lord is flat on the four sides and conical in the center. The form was first discovered by one Kondamanaicker around 300 years ago. The devotee once sighted his cow shedding her milk on a sandhill. Induced by curiosity, he dug it, when manifested the image with Conch (Sanguchakkram) and Disc (Chakkram) as well as Saligram and Chikandi (weapon). Inspired by the divine revolution, he ordered a temple to be built up for Sri Venketachalapathi enshrining the form. Devotees who have taken vows to make offering to the lord of the seven hills can fulfill them in Mondipalayam, in the event of their inability to go to Tirupati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sapthagiri</span>

Sapthagiri which is also called Tirumala Hill is situated in hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. This hill is 853 m above sea level and is about 10.33 square miles (27 km2) in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Adisesha, thus earning the name Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri. The hill is famous for the famous and one of the most holy Hindu deity Venkateswara swamy temple. The temple is on Venkatadri, the seventh peak, and is also known as the "Temple of Seven Hills". The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Venkateswara, a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is known by other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The temple lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank. The temple complex comprises a traditional temple building, with a number of modern queue and pilgrim lodging sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alipiri</span> Neighborhood of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India

Alipiri Padala Mandapam or Alipiri is the place at foot of seven hills in Tirupati, the pilgrim city of Sri Venkateswara Swami, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a neighbourhood of Tirupati city.

<i>Sri Tirupati Venkateswara Kalyanam</i> 1979 Indian film

Sri Tirupati Venkateswara Kalyanam is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film, based on Lord Venkateswara Avatar at Tirumala, produced and directed by N. T. Rama Rao under his Ramakrishna Cine Studios banner. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Jaya Prada, Jayasudha, Nandamuri Balakrishna and music composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmavati Temple</span> Hindu temple in Andhra Pradesh, India

Padmavati Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Padmavati, the consort of Venkateshvara. The temple is situated in Tiruchanur area of Tirupati city in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Venkateswara Temple is an important Vaishnavite temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala in Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared here to save mankind from the trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. The temple is situated at a height of 853 m (2,799 ft) on Tirumala Hills which are part of the Seshachalam Hills and is constructed in Dravidian architectural style.

<i>Om Namo Venkatesaya</i> 2017 Indian film

Om Namo Venkatesaya is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language Hindu devotional biographical film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao and produced by A. Mahesh Reddy on AMR Sai Krupa Entertainments banner. The film stars Nagarjuna as Hathiram Bhavaji, alongside Anushka Shetty, Jagapathi Babu, Saurabh Raj Jain, and Pragya Jaiswal. Sai Kumar, Rao Ramesh, Sampath Raj, Ashmita Karnani, Brahmanandam, and Ajay play supporting roles. It has music composed by M. M. Keeravani. The film was dubbed in Tamil as Akhilandakoti Brahmandanayagan. The film failed at the box office.

Sri Narapura Venkateswara Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated in Jammalamadugu, YSR Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh India. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is referred to as Narapura Venkateswara. According to the temple history, the temple derives its name from Narapuraiah, a devotee of Venkateswara, who constructed this temple based on what he considered the deity's wishes. Within the main premises of the temple, there is Anjaneya temple, Kalyana Mantapam, and Goshala. The temple has been under the control of TTD since 2008. The temple is generally crowded on Saturdays being it a significant day for Venkateswara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venkateswara Temple, Dwaraka Tirumala</span> Hindu temple in India

Sri Venkateswara Temple is a Hindu temple located in Dwaraka Tirumala of Eluru district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Known as "Chinna Tirupati", it is considered a spiritual alternative to the famous Tirupati temple. The temple is unique for housing two idols of Lord Venkateswara: a self-manifested idol and a second idol installed for complete worship.

Venkateswara Temple is an important Vaishnavite temple situated in the hill town of Tirumala in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, built by a Tamil king Tondaiman and later expanded and renovated under the Chola and Vijayanagara Empire. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu, who is believed to have appeared here to save mankind from the trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. The temple is situated at a height of 853 metres on Tirumala Hills which are part of Seshachalam Hills and is constructed in South Indian Tamil Architectural Style.

References

  1. ↑ "संत परंपरा: तिरुपति के संत हाथीराम बैरागी".
  2. ↑ "Sri Hanuman of Sri Swamy Hathiramji Mutt, Vellore, Tamilnadu".
  3. ↑ Shantha, Nair (2013). Sri Venkateswara: Lord Balaji and his holy abode of Thirupati. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House. p. 12. ISBN   978-81-8495-445-5 . Retrieved 26 September 2016.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ignored ISBN errors (link)
  4. 1 2 Ramachandra Pai, N. A. "Hathiram Baba". speakingtree.in. Speeking Tree. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Team, panditbooking (8 July 2016). "The Story of Lord Balaji's favorite devotee Hathiramji Baba and the name of Balaji to the Lord of Tirupati". spiritual.panditbooking.com. Panditbooking. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  6. ↑ Jagannatha Rao, P. T (1952). A Symposium on Tirupati Venkateswara (PDF). Tirupati: Hathiramji Publications. p. 17. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  7. ↑ Pranita, Jonnalagedda. "Bringing Baba Hathiram to life onscreen is a big challenge: Nagarjuna". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Times News Network. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  8. ↑ Staff Reporter (22 March 2016). "అంతర్యామీ.. అలసితీ !". sakshi.com. Jagati Publications. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  9. ↑ Staff Reporter (20 March 2008). "Hathiramji Mutt gets back its land". The Hindu. Kasturi and Sons. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  10. ↑ Vasanatha, P (7 January 2008). "Mahants Of Hathiramji Mutt 1843 1933". University. Sri Venkateswara University. hdl:10603/104596 . Retrieved 27 September 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.