Sri Venkateswara Mahatmyam is a 1960 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film directed by P. Pullayya and produced by V. Venkateswarlu. It is based on the Venkateswara avatar of Vishnu at Tirumala. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Savitri, and S. Varalakshmi with music composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao. The film was dubbed into Tamil and released as Srinivasa Kalyanam.
Plot The film begins with the advent of Kaliyuga. The earth faces threats of all sorts. To reduce it, Saptarshi, helmed by Kashyapa, performs a Yagna when Narada arrives and asks who the patron deity of the sacrifice is. Since they cannot answer, Bhrigu moves to test Trimurthi. After Siva & Brahma become the victims of his curse, he approaches Vaikuntha when Vishnu & Lakshmi are immersed in love and ignore him. So, furious, Bhrigu kicks Vishnu in the chest. To pacify the sage, Vishnu held his legs and pressed the eye in his foot to symbolize his egotism when the sage sought to apologize. With a shattered ego, Lakshmi quits when Vishnu is behind her, first step on the earth at Tirumala, and settles in an anthill without food & water. Taking pity, Brahma & Siva assumed the forms of a cow & calf to serve him. Lakshmi sold them to the King, and they fed him.
Meanwhile, the cow does not yield milk at the palace, so the queen chastises the cow herder Sarabha. So, he follows it secretly, discovers the cause, and flung his axe. Here, Vishnu rose after receiving the blow and cursed Sarabha to be a ghost until he formed a deity at that place. After that, Vishnu landed at his ardent devotee Vakala's Ashram; she called him Srinivasa and provided hospitality. Once, Srinivasa chases a wild elephant led into a garden, where he meets Padmavati, daughter of Aakasa Raju, and the two crushes. After hesitation, Aakasa Raju and his wife, Dharani Devi, accept the proposal for its expenses, Srinivasa debts from Kubera, and say they will repay only the interest till the end of Kaliyuga. Narada briefs Lakshmi about the wedlock, and fuming, she confronts Vishnu. Then, a clash between his two consorts leads Srinivasa to become a statue. Following, Padmavathi comes to his side, and Vakula Devi as a garland.
The entire universe is blissful for launching a deity to protect the earth. Generations pass by, and Bhavaji, an ardent devotee, arrives and calls Balaji. However, temple authorities hinder his entrance. From there, the Lord visits him every night to spend time playing dice. One day, Balaji loses his ornament in the bet when the public spot opens doors and accuses Bhavaji of theft. The King arrives to conduct an interrogation, and Bhavaji explains the truth. Hence, the King tests his spirituality by keeping him in prison, full of sugar cane, and asks him to eat before dawn. At this point, the Lord appears as an elephant and finishes it within moments. In the morning, the people are astounded to see the miracle. Since then, he has been eminent as Hathiram Bhavaji, and the King endorses his temple authority. At last, generations pass, and the number of devotees to the temple increases. Finally, the movie ends by showing Srivari Brahmotsavam.
Cast
N. T. Rama Rao as Vishnu / Venkateswara S. Varalakshmi as Lakshmi Savitri as Padmavathi V. Nagayya as Hathiram Bhavaji Gummadi as Bhrigu Maharshi Relangi Ramana Reddy as Sarabha Rajanala Vangara Valluri Balakrishna Peketi Sivaram P. Suri Babu as Narada Maharshi Ghantasala as Guest role in the song Sr. A V Subbarao as Akasa Raju Jr. A V Subbarao as Lord Brahma Vempati Peda Satyam as Lord Siva Lanka Satyam as Yatrikudu Rushyendramani as Dhaaranidevi Santha Kumari as Vakula Devi Showkar Janaki as Yerukalasani Surabhi Balasaraswathi as Sarabha's wife Sandhya as Goddess Saraswathi
Soundtrack
Music composed by Pendyala Nageshwara Rao. Music released by Audio Company. S.NoSong title Lyrics Singers length1Jaya Jaya JaganayakaMalladi Ramakrishna SastryChorus6:512SrideviniAarudhraS. Varalakshmi3:173PavanambayyaNarapa ReddyGhantsala0:444KannulaNarapa ReddyMadhavapeddi Satyam0:405Namo NarayanayaNarapa ReddyMadhavapeddi Satyam0:236Chilipi ChestalaNarapa ReddyGhantasala0:457AnyuledutanuNarapa ReddyP. Suri Babu0:398Ee NeradaranaNarapa ReddyS. Varalakshmi0:479Varala BeramayyaAcharya AatreyaS. Varalakshmi3:0210Chilako ChikkaveAcharya AatreyaPithapuram, Swarnalatha2:0911Gopaala Nandha GopaalaAcharya AatreyaSantha Kumari3:4912OntivaaduNarapa ReddyGhantasala0:4013Naa KutiramanduNarapa ReddySantha Kumari0:5214GiliginthaluAcharya AatreyaP. Susheela, S. Janaki, Vaidehi5:2415Evaro AtadevaroAcharya AatreyaGhantasala, P. Susheela4:1416Chiru Chiru NagavulaAcharya AatreyaSantha Kumari, Swarnalatha3:2117Chinnari O ChilukaAcharya AatreyaP. Susheela3:1318Kalyana VaibhavamAcharya AatreyaP. Leela, Jikki5:2719Sakala KalyanabhushaNarapa ReddyMadhavapeddi Satyam0:3720Velliraa MaathalliAcharya AatreyaP. Leela, Vaidehi5:1021Kalaga KammanikalagaAcharya AatreyaGhantasala, P. Susheela3:2522KalayoNarapa ReddyP. Susheela0:3923Ee SrinivasuduNarapa ReddyP. Suri Babu1:4624Lakshmi NivasaSuprabhatamGhantasala0:4925Vega RaavaAcharya AatreyaMadhavapeddi Satyam2:4426PahihareAcharya AatreyaMadhavapeddi Satyam1:2127Padave Podamu GouriAcharya AatreyaMadhavapeddi Satyam1:3428Sesha Saila VaasaAcharya AatreyaGhantasala3:03
Box office and impact It released with twenty prints and had a 100-day run in 16 centers and 175 days in Hyderabad and Vijayawada centers. The deification of Rama Rao began and his residence in Madras became a shrine for pilgrims, who would visit him after a trip to Tirupati. NTR fans waited in long queues outside his house for a darshan of their "living god". They used to apprise him of their problems back home in their villages and he listened to them patiently before rushing to the studio in the morning.
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