Tirupati Tataiahgunta Gangamma Temple, Andhra Pradesh

Address

Korramenugunta,

Tirupati,

Andhra Pradesh 517501

Amman

Gangamma

Introduction

Tataiahgunta Gangamma Temple is dedicated to Goddess Gangamma, Gramadevata of Tirupati, in Tirupati Town in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh.

Puranic Significance

Long back, when “Palegondulu” ruled Tirupati and surrounding areas, women folk suffered a lot due to severe harassment. That time Goddess Gangamma was taken birth and grown as a beautiful woman in a village named “Avilala”. Palegondulu approached Gangamma with bad intentions, but she with her grace and power tried to kill him. Afraid of her, Palegondulu hid in a remote place.

To bring him out of that place, Gangamma arranged a “Gangamma Jatara” during which people of Tirupathi wearing strange dresses cursed Gangamma for 7 days. On the seventh day, Palegondulu came out of the hidden place and was killed by Goddess Gangamma for the benefit of humanity.

The Gangamma Jatara is a very famous local festival of Tirupati, which is celebrated in the month of May every year.

Since the temple is located in the banks of Thathaya gunta, it is popularly known as “Thathaya Gunta Gangamma Temple”. People worship the goddess with great faith. Tuesdays and Fridays are auspicious days when “Pongallu” is offered to the deity.

Special Features

The Gangamma Jatara is a very famous local festival for the people of Tirupati. It is done every year in May. As the Gangamma temple was in the banks of Thathaya gunta, the temple is famously known as “Tataiahgunta Gangamma Temple”.

Priests performed the initiatory rituals and tied `Vadibalu’ to the `Viswaroopa Sthambam’ in front of the temple, that set the stage for the fete. Men making the Chatimpu roam through the old town beating dappus to announce that the festival has begun and hence the residents should not leave the town till the festival is over.

Priests make the traditional huge clay idol of the goddess at the temple’s portico. Everyone during the festival comes and prays to the goddess to offer her pongal, sarees, turmeric and kumkum, etc.

During the last day of festival, the portico will be smashed it into pieces at the auspicious moment. Devotees then clamour around to get the clay smithereens, which they consider as sacred, to be either preserved in the ‘Puja’ room or consumed by mixing it in water. Though there is a ban on animal sacrifice, goats and fowls were chopped at will at a corner of the temple.