Story of Goddess Padmavati, consort of Sri Venkateswara, is
closely associated with the origin of Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple. Goddess
Lakshmi unable to bear the insult meted out by Sage Bhrigu to Lord Vishnu left
Vaikunta. She was born on earth as Padmavati, the daughter of Aksharaja, a
Tondaimandalam King.
The king was childless and and decided to perform the putrakameshti
yajna, ritual for getting progeny.
As per the rule of the yajna, the king had to plough the land in which he was going to perform the yajna and sow corn. As he was ploughing the field with a golden plough, he saw a unusually large lotus flower in the ground.
As per the rule of the yajna, the king had to plough the land in which he was going to perform the yajna and sow corn. As he was ploughing the field with a golden plough, he saw a unusually large lotus flower in the ground.
The lotus flower was very heavy and he had to make some
effort to lift it. When he lifted it, he saw a very pretty baby girl in it. The
appearance of the baby was divinely and it had enchanting eyes. It appeared as
though Lakshmi Devi herself had come in the form of a child. The pleasantly
surprised king thought that the child was a gift from Vishnu and Lakshmi.
As soon as the king lifted the child he heard a voice from
the sky – it asked the king to bring up the child as his own. The voice
predicted great fortune for the king and kingdom.
The voice said that the girl
child would bring great fame to the king and his kingdom.
The king took the child to the queen and looked after it as
their own.
The king soon had other children and thus the bad luck of
not having children changed with the arrival of Goddess Lakshmi.
The female child that appeared on the lotus was named Padmavati. In Tamil, she is known as Alarm Mel Mangai.
She later married Lord Venkateswara.