Tirumala - Two photographs!

These photographs of Tirumala and the (slightly edited) comments are from a very special somebody; this is also the first-ever guest post on this blog.

isn't it absolutely gorgeous? :o) I just love it…


The beautiful natural stone arch above is known as "Sila Thoranam". It is one of the earliest geological formations and is very very old and the hills are scattered with such rocks. ... told me lot more about that but all that generally floated above my head and I was caught up by the beauty of the place. The stones have formed in such a way that it resembles a delicate arch. Looks very beautiful. It is said that the Lord did penance when he came to Boolokha from Vaikunta before settling in Tirumala. This place is higher up the hills and one of the best places for nature lovers. The route to this place is dotted with tall stately pine forests and is a feast for the eyes.

More about "Sila thoranam" is here. Different pages on the net give different ages for the rock; wiki says it is the second oldest; I would tend to believe that.