Tirupati, town in southern India, in Andhra Pradesh state. Tirupati is a center of education and an important place of Hindu pilgrimage. It lies at the foot of the seven Tirumalai Hills, which represent the seven heads of the Hindu serpent god Ananta (or Sesha). According to legend, the hills are the abode of Sri Venkateswara (“Lord of the Seven Hills”), an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. His temple, an example of Dravidian architecture and a preeminent center of pilgrimage, is located in the hills at the town of Tirumalai. Tirupati serves as a base for the daily influx of about 25,000 pilgrims who come to visit the temple. It is also the seat of Sri Venkateswara University (founded in 1954). Population (1991) 174,369.
