Legend has it that Lord Vishnu was disturbed while resting on the Sheshnag bed in Ksheer Sagar as a demon named Hiranyaksha had captured the heavens with his power and subjugated the whole earth. When the demon Hiranyaksha threatened to completely submerge the earth and drown the earth in the sea, Vishnu took the form of a boar and lifted the earth over the ocean, and saved the earth goddess. Bhudevi was pleased and requested Vishnu to make the earth his home.
Garuda was brought down to earth from Vaikuntha to Tirumala, one of his favorite mountains, and placed near the waters of Pushkarini to be the home of the Lord.

The Bhavishyottara Purana states that when Maharishi Bhrigu struck Lord Vishnu's chest with his foot, Goddess Lakshmi became angry and came to Kolhapur and started meditating. Upon separation from his wife, a bereaved Vishnu resided here in the form of Venkateswara (the remover of sins). Vishnu had left Vaikuntha and reached Tirumala in the form of Sri Venkateswara.
Lord Shiva and Brahma made up their mind to serve Lord Vishnu in the guise of a cow and a calf. Sri Mahalakshmi also reached Tirumala and sold the cow and the calf to the Chola queen, taking the form of a cattle herder. In a skirmish, the local shepherd aimed to strike the cow with his axe but accidentally killed Lord Vishnu. Seeing Lord Vishnu bleeding, the cowherd fell down and died. The king followed the cow to the spot and the lord cursed the king to become an asura for the mistake of his servant.

The king begged for mercy to be innocent and the Lord allowed the king to give birth as an Akasa king, whose daughter Padmavati (Part of Goddess Lakshmi) would eventually marry Lord Venkateswara.

According to legends, Lord Vishnu had borrowed a large sum of money from Kuber, the god of wealth, for the expenses of the marriage. It is believed that Vishnu promised to repay all that money by the end of Kali Yuga, hence the accounts are read at Tirumala every day.

The temple at Tirumala was built around 830 AD by King Thondaman, later the kings of the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas and Vijayanagara Empire expanded the temple extensively. King Krishna Devaraya of the Vijayanagara dynasty was a great devotee of Lord Venkateswara, donating his book of shlokas, along with money, gold, and other ornaments to Lord Venkateswara Vishnu in support of the temple.
Lord Vishnu is also known as Balaji, Vithala, Varadaraja, Srinivasa, Tirumala Devar and Narayan. The Lord resides on seven hills (Tirumala). In the sanctum sanctorum, the majestic idol stands seven feet tall at the base of the lotus.
A thick double tilak made of raw camphor is applied on the forehead of Lord Tirupati. The raised rear right hand holds the Sudarshan Chakra and the upper left hand holds a conch shell. In front of him is a padma in the lower left hand and a mace in the lower right hand. On the right is Goddess Lakshmi and on the left is Goddess Padmavati.

Service and worship
The worship is performed by Joer Swami, of the highly qualified five families of Vaishnava Brahmins, who are descendants of the priests founded by Sri Ramanujacharya. The day begins with an auspicious Jagran of the Lord at 3:30 am, followed by Thomala Seva where the idols are decorated with flowers.

Kaluruva follows the Thomala service on all days except Friday, where the idol of Koluvu Srinivasa seated on a git chair is brought to the Tirumamani Mandapam (inside the sanctum). Then the accounts of the previous day's income are read and handed over to the Lord. After the ritual, Archana is chanted with 1008 names of the Lord. Naivedyam is offered to the Lord. Solitude service prepares the Lord for rest every night at 1.30

Day-Specific Worship:
 

• Monday: Special puja is performed with wives.
• Tuesday: After the ringing of the second bell, the Ashtadal pada Padmaradhanmu service is conducted at 5:30 am. The Devdas (108) names of the Lord are recited with 108 golden lotus flowers placed at the feet of the Lord.
• Wednesday: Sahasra Kalash Abhishekam
• Thursday: Tiruppavada and Poolangi Alankaram decorate the deity with flowers.
• Friday: Abhishek begins with chanting of Para Shakti Mantra Natural perfume camphor, saffron and milk are used for the abhishek. The collected saffron water is distributed as prasad.

Other rituals

• Climbing Stairs: The Alipiri Mettu Route, at the base of the hills, is the starting point for pilgrims who take the 3,600 steps on foot.
• Anga Pradakshina: Devotees perform Anga Pradakshina to fulfill their vow. After taking a dip in Pradakshina, they walk around the temple and reach at 2 am.
• Hair Mundan: Traditionally, hair mundan is done for children in Tirumala. Devotees offer their hair when they take a vow. It is a symbol of humility, putting away one's ego before the Supreme Authority.
• Tula Bharam: The devotee offers grains/fruits/jaggery and coins according to his weight for his own good.
• Annadanam: Donating food is a daily ritual.
  
  Celebration
  Brahmotsavam: According to popular stories, once Brahma first worshiped Balaji on the banks of the holy Pushkarni river in Tirupati, to thank the Lord for protecting mankind. This festival is celebrated in September-October.
  
  Other major festivals include Vasantotsava (spring festival) in March-apni and Ratha Saptami in February, when Lord Venkateswara's picture is taken in procession on the chariots of the temple.

Best time to visit: All year round

Interesting fact:
The temple ranks second among the 108 Divya Desams of Alwar Vaishnava saints and is considered to be one of the richest temples in the world. It is said that the idol of Lord Venkateswara is made of a special stone. This type of rock is unique to this place and is believed to be 2,100 million years old. The prasad consists of laddus, vadas which are available at the counters inside the temple. Gold, and silver coins bearing the image of God are sold on the temple premises

Nearby Places:

Tiruchanur Padmavati Temple: It is believed necessary to visit Padmavati Temple after offering prayers to Tirumala.
Kalyana Venkateswara Temple, Mangapuram. Govinda Raja Swami Temple, Sri Kalahasti Temple.