Situated at the foothills of Tirumala, near Alipiri, a sacred waterfall brings the purest water from the Seshachalam hills to Tirupati. Amidst the typical Vaishnavism atmosphere, one can also find the oozing Shavism environment at the Kapileshwara Swamy temple of Kapila Theertham.
Everything around this temple makes you believe in the historical mythology of the Puranas. There's a famous story attached to the existence of this place in Tirupati. Sage Kapila once performed severe penance to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and when they appeared before him, he requested them to mark their presence. Satisfactorily, Lord Shiva manifested himself as a Swayambhu Linga, and Maa Parvati manifested herself as Maa Annapoorna. Hence, the form of Shiva here is called Kapileshwara, named after the Kapila Muni. The waterfall that falls directly onto the temple premises, filling the theertham, is also named Kapila Theertham after Kapila Muni.
In addition to Lord Shiva, one can find temples of Venugopala Swamy, Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, Andaal-Perumal Swamy, Navagraha, Nandi, Subramanya, Ganesha, Nataraja Swamy and many idols of Naga devas. The whole temple complex gives a person an ancient vibe with age-old architecture and natural resources.
Every time I visit Tirupati, I see this temple before completing my trip. In the last six months, I have been here twice. Mediating and singing bhajans here are my favourite pastimes while listening to the sounds of people, monkeys, waterfalls and temple chants. One can find this place at the Tirumala main temple from Tirupati. There's a bus stop nearby, and all the public transportation stops here. One can also see an auto-rickshaw stand nearby to take you elsewhere. The place is called Srinivasa Nagar, where there are many hotels and eateries. So, this temple complex is feasible with all the amenities.
As a frequent visitor to Tirupati, I was fortunate enough to spend my time on different visits during daylight and night. Indeed, it looks beautiful at any point of the day. The main attraction is the waterfall. People come here to take dips, swim, meditate, and drench themselves under the water that directly falls into the temple's pond structure. I have been to these premises alone and also with my family.
It's affordable, too. The direct darshan ticket costs only 5/- rupees, and one can also choose free darshan like other temples around the premises. The evening aarti is exceptional here. The temple closes in the afternoon and reopens with Carnatic music and Vedic chants. Attending this aarti can make you feel connected with Lord Shiva. During monsoons, the water flow at the waterfalls is heavy, and often, even the premises get flooded due to rains. But in winter and summer, the water flow remains low and stable. Wildlife, especially monkeys, roam occasionally, entertaining devotees and visitors.
With the heavy and rocky mountains as a backdrop and a scenic waterfall filling the pond in the middle of the architectural corridors of the temple, it looks incredibly scenic. The other attraction of this place is Lord Narasimha Swamy temple because it is tiny, and one has to go through a cave on the left side of the waterfall to have the darshan of the deities. The main temple, with all the other gods and goddesses, exists on the right side. Soon after one enters, one can find Swamy Venugopala mandir on the right and Varaha Narasimha Swamy temple on the left.
Speaking of architecture, this temple was built during the Chola era and renovated during the Vijayanagara era. Now, these temple premises come under Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams' (TTD) organization for all the development, management, and arrangement procedures for the regular activities in the temple. There's also a forest space on the exterior of the temple, named Kapila Vanam, where one can find medicinal trees, floral plants and other shrubs shaped into the structures of various deities.
But before everything, while entering the temple, one must visit the temple of Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy Mandir, the temple of Lord Hanuman. Unlike other temples, this one exists separately outside the main temple premises. So remember to visit whenever you go here. Outside, many vendors sell food, articles, toys, souvenirs, and temple items.
Another main reason why people visit this temple is to perform Rahu-Ketu poojas to eliminate nine planet obstacles from their astrological charts. If you believe in astrology, you must see this place, and you can talk to Pandits, who suggest you do a few poojas according to your charts. It's a religious place, so all these things are followed. This is a typical Shaiva Kshetra; one must pay a visit if one is an ardent believer of Shiva, one who is on a soul-searching spiritual journey, or simply one who wants to explore nature, embrace it by spending some time at the waterfalls and swim. I always go to this temple to meditate at one of those ancient granite pillars on either side of the waterfall. I recommend you to stand and watch the nature around you. Breathe in and relax before visiting all the deities in their respective temples.
Om Namah Shivaya!