HINDU TEMPLE  OF KENTUCKY

The foster Mother of Lord Krishna, Yasoda Devi though tended him as a child never witnessed his marriages. Lord Krishna consoled her and promised to create an opportunity in Kaliyuga. Yasoda, therefore was born as Vakuladevi and became a devotee of Varaha Swamy. Sri Hari with a wounded head was wandering in the woods in search of a suitable medicine. On the advice of Brihaspati, the Guru of Devas who met him in the forest, went in search of a fig tree to apply its milk mixing it with the other herbs to the wound and chanced upon to hear Sri Krishna Bhajana and walked towards the cottage crying in pain "mother" "mother". Vakuladevi heard the call, and after fondly enquiring applied the medicine, fed him with some fruits and milk, and named him as Srinivasa.

Sri Hari revealed to her his previous birth as Lord Krishna. Overjoyed, she bathed him and took to Varaha Swamy. On his request Varahaswamy gave him 100 sqft of land with a promise that all the pilgrims to Tirupati first visit his Temple, then have Darshan of Sri Venketeswara. The image of Sri Venkateswara is self manifest (Swayambhu) and not prepared by any mortal. The celebrated temple of Sri Venkateswara stands on a hill named Venkatadri. It is very difficult to determine the date of this temple. Inscriptions found in the temple only refer to its renovation, rebuilding and addition made to the main temple.

The earliest inscription found at Tirumala records the birth of Bana Prince named Vijayaditya who ruled during the half of the 9th Century A.D. The first mention of the temple on the hill is to be found in an inscription assignable to 970 A.D. A renovation made in the 13th Century was done as to preclude a view of the original Sanctum. From then onwards the rulers who ruled the place and devoted to the Lord made several gifts and offerings and structural changes whenever necessary.

Birth of Alevelumangamma and Her marriage with Srinivasa

As was predestined Akasa Raju took birth in the Royal family of Sudharma and after he grew old he made Akasa Raju as king of Thodaman. Akasa Raju married Dharnidevi and they had no children. His Kula Guru, Suka Maharshri advised him to conduct a Yaga and on an auspicious day while ploughing with his golden plough some thing struck. It was a box and in the box, to everybody's astonishment they found female child in the midst of thousand pettalled lotus flower. Since the child was born in a Padma(lotus flower) she was named as Padmavati.

In Ram Avtar she was Vedavati and underwent untold sufferings in the hands of Ravana. Though Agni requested Sri Ram to marry Vedavati he could not do so as he was observing Ekapathni Vratham but however blessed that in Kaliyuga as Srinivas he will marry her as Padmavati. Padmavati grew bigger and brighter and attained puberty. Sage Narada who examined her palm predicted that she would become the wife of Srimanarayana. Under the tutelage of Vakuladevi, Srinivas was happy in Venkatachalam and with the permission of Vakuladevi went into forest for hunting and met Padmavati strolling in the garden. Enchanted by her beauty he expressed his desire to marry her.

Padmavati was not happy and got him chased away by aiming stones at him. The horse which belonged to Srinivasa was behind him was hit by the stones died instantaneously and Srinivasa was also bleeding profusely. Srinivasa explained the above episode to Vakuladevi who first hesitated to ask the hand of Padmavati. After taking the blessings of Varaha Swamy she mustered courage and met Akasa Raju and Dharanidevi in Narayanapuram. After taking the advice of Sukamaharshi, Akasa Raju agreed to perform the marriage of Padmavati with Srinivasa. For performing the marriage Kubera lent Srinivasa 3364 crores of Rama coins which Srinivasa promised to pay him back only interest till the end of Kalayuga and clear the principle immediately thereafter.