Lord Balaji: The Lord Of Manifestation

Lord Balaji is also known as Lord Venkateswara amongst many names (left).

Lord Balaji is a reincarnation of the Hindu God, Maha Vishnu. People may know him by different names such as Venkateswara, Govindha or Tirupati Timmappa. The Lord turned into a granite stone idol for it was his desire to be on the holy Seven Hills for the emancipation of mankind. His two wives, Goddess Lakshmi and Princess Padmavathi, also turned into stone idols to express their dedication to their husband and to be with him for eternity. Goddess Lakshmi rests on the left side of his chest while Goddess Padmavati is on his right.

Lladró’s Lord Balaji Sculpture Limited Edition Medium in his magnificent black and gold regalia.

When he married Princess Padmavati, the daughter of the King of the Seven Hills, he held a grand and divine wedding to pay the commitment to Princess Padmavati’s father, and the thousands of devotees who visit him each day offer him donations to help pay for it. It is said that if the offerings are made with a pure heart, he will fulfill your wishes and pardon you of your sins because it is believed that material desires need to be vanquished in order to attain salvation and surrender to the divine force.

Temple of Tirupati Balaji in Tirupati, India

Many people from all around the world travel to India to visit the Temple of Tirupati Balaji, where the deity Lord Balaji presides. But what’s so special about Lord Balaji and why do 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims wait hours that sometimes stretch beyond a day just to see him and show him their gratitude?

Lladró’s Lord Balaji Lithophane brings the visage of the Lord of Manifestation to life when lit with a candle on the inside, or with an optional LED Kit (right). 

Many devotees have said to have felt the presence of divinity during their visit to Lord Balaji of which words can not describe and that they’ve left the temple with an even stronger faith and belief. There have also been spiritual incidences that couldn’t be explained that people want to experience for themselves.

Did you know that there is a temple devoted to Lord Balaji/Venkateswara in Australia? They are welcoming of visitors, and you can find it here:

SRI VENKATESWARA TEMPLE (SVT)
1 Temple Road, Helensburgh
Sydney, NSW, 2508

 The designers at Lladró consulted the devotees of Lord Balaji to create a sculpture that would truly do him justice. The sculpture is finished with matt and glazed porcelain and embellished with 24K golden lustre. 1866 porcelain flowers, which are handmade and formed petal by petal, cover the side columns and the different garlands worn by the God. (Read more about Lladró’s porcelain flowers here.) He has a dark matt complexion and four hands. In his two upper hands he holds a discus on the right, which is a symbol of power, and a conch’s shell on the left, which is a symbol of existence. His lower hands are extended downward as he asks devotees to have faith and surrender to him for protection.

Lladró’s High Porcelain collection is now blessed with the inclusion of the astounding 67cm tall Lord Balaji Sculpture Limited Edition Large. Only 299 pieces are made and each is numbered and signed.

Lord Balaji is always adorned with huge garlands of flowers and scented leaves by his followers because his depiction in the local purana tells of the celestial ruler’s love for flowers and flowery decorations in his abode all year round. The seven garlands are:

  1. Shikhamani is the 12-feet long flower garland that covers the crown and runs along the shoulders , made of rose, jamine and marigold.
  2. Kantha Sari is the flower garlands which fall from the shoulders on both sides.
  3. Saligrama Mala is the Saligrama necklaces full of roses and jasmines that are worn by the deity from neck to waist level.
  4. Vurksha Sthala Lakshmi are the garlands adorning Goddess Lakshmi and Princess Padmavathi residing in the navel of the Lord.
  5. Shanka Chakram is the flower decoration on the celestial emblems of Lord Balaji – Shanka (Conch) and Chakram (Discus).
  6. Kthariha Saram is the flower decked belt along the waist to fit in the sword.
  7. Tavalamulu are the three long garlands that hang down from the top to bottom on the sides in three columns. along the hands.

Other articles on Hindu Gods:

This is an updated article to the original posted on June 1, 2020.

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