Dedicated to a form of Vishnu, it’s believed that the Venkateswara Temple of Tirumala in India was built in 300 CE, and now attracts around 24 million people every year to offer donations (it’s the world’s second busiest and richest religious site after the Vatican). So, if you’re going to build a new temple, who else would you base yours on?
The Shri Venkateswara Temple, aka the Balaji Temple (Balaji being another name for Venkateswara, if it wasn’t complicated enough, but we’ll get to that), isn’t anywhere near as old, popular or wealthy, but it’s a sight to behold nonetheless. You won’t believe it, it’s only a stone’s throw outside of Birmingham, a whole lot easier to get to!
What is the Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple?
Located in the tiny Sandwell area of Tividale, on a disused farm and tip, this huge Hindu temple opened to the public in 2006. It is dedicated to the supreme god Vishnu and his consort Padmavati. The main temple for Lord Venkateswara is magnificent and mesmerising, but there’s an endless list of superlatives we could use to describe it.
Inside the grounds, you will also find several house shrines to lesser deities, like Hanuman, Ganesh, and Ayappan. My favourites include an ornamental pond for Ananthapadmanabha and the Shiva shrine, built from natural stone from the river Ganges in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Plus, visitors must check out the Gandhi Peace Centre, with its exhibition on the life of Mahatma Gandhi, as well as a place for yoga and meditation. In addition, the site holds religious and community events—like annadhanam services (providing free meals) and Divali (on Sunday, October 26, 2025). The temple also runs the Balaji School for Culture & Education, which provides spiritual classes on Hindu scriptures.
Who is Lord Venkateswara?
Just to clear things up: Venkateshwara, fondly called Balaji, is one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu—the preserver and protector of the Universe. Vishnu appeared as Balaji to his devotees to elevate humanity. Venkateswara means ‘the Lord who destroys the sins of the people’. Popular Balaji festivals are Brahmotsavam (in September and October) and Vaikunta Ekadasi (Wednesday, December 31, 2025).