Tirupathi Balaji Story: There are many famous and divine temples in India, where devotees have immense faith. One of these temples is Tirupati Balaji, located in Andhra Pradesh. People come from far and wide to visit Lord Sri Venkateswara. Devotees offer their hair at this temple, a tradition that has lasted for centuries. But today, we will tell you the whole story behind this hair donation.
Why is hair donation done at Tirupati Balaji?
According to legend, a yajna was once performed for the welfare of the world. The question arose as to who would ultimately receive the fruits of this yajna. The task of finding out this truth fell upon Sage Bhrigu. Sage Bhrigu first approached Lord Brahma and then Lord Shiva. However, Sage Bhrigu found neither suitable to offer the fruits of this yajna. He then went to meet Lord Vishnu at Vaikuntha Dham, where Lord Vishnu was resting.
But Lord Vishnu was unaware of Sage Bhrigu’s arrival. Sage Bhrigu took this as an insult and, enraged, kicked Lord Vishnu’s chest. However, Lord Vishnu politely held the sage’s feet and asked, “Sage, did you hurt your feet?” Upon hearing this, Sage Bhrigu realised his mistake and decided to give the fruits of the yajna to Lord Vishnu.
Lakshmi Ji Displeased
When Sage Bhrigu placed his foot on Lord Vishnu’s chest, Goddess Lakshmi became very angry. She wanted to take revenge on Sage Bhrigu. But Lord Vishnu refused, and as a result, Goddess Lakshmi became angry and left Vaikuntha.
After this, Goddess Lakshmi decided to remain on Earth, and Lord Vishnu became exhausted searching for her. As a result, Lord Vishnu was born on Earth as Srinivasa. During this time, Lord Shiva and Brahma assisted Vishnu. They took the form of a cow and a calf. Lakshmi was reborn on Earth as Padmavati, and Srinivasa and Padmavati were married some time later.
However, to complete some of the wedding rituals, Vishnu borrowed some money from Kubera. Lord Vishnu promised Kubera that he would repay the loan with interest by the end of Kali Yuga. Since then, devotees have been donating something to repay Kubera’s debt to Lord Vishnu. It is believed that anyone who donates hair to a temple will receive tenfold the amount back. Furthermore, such individuals are blessed by Goddess Lakshmi.