What is lord venkateswara?

Lord Venkateswara is a Hindu deity worshipped in South India. He is also known as Lord Balaji, Venkatachalapathi, Srinivasa, and Govinda. He is considered to be an avatar of Lord Vishnu. The temple of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh, India is one of the most visited and revered pilgrimage sites in the world. The deity's idol in the temple is believed to be self-manifested and attracts millions of devotees every year. The temple is managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust. Lord Venkateswara is also depicted holding a Sudarshana Chakra and a Shankha (conch), which are his weapons. His consort is Goddess Lakshmi. The temple rituals require the deity's offerings to include food, called as 'naivedyam,' which includes Venpongal, sweet rice pudding or payasam, and Laddu. The temple is also famous for its prasadam Laddu, which is distributed at the end of the darshan or worship. The devotees offer their hair as a symbol of sacrifice to the deity. The temple is known for its charitable activities, such as distributing free food to the devotees (Annadanam), providing free education to the needy, and healthcare facilities.