Tirumala - Sacred Foods Of God - Limited Edition by A.V. Ramana Dikshitulu and Kota Neelima

The ritual of offering food or Naivedyam to Lord Venkateshwara - a manifestation of Lord Vishnu - at the Tirumala Temple has existed since eternity, when Lord Vishnu decided to descend on Earth in the archa form or as an idol that can be worshipped. He commissioned Sage Vaikhanasa to prepare the ancient religious text Agama Shastra, which gives an elaborate description of the rituals to be conducted in the Tirumala Temple, the ingredients to be used to prepare prasadams, procedures for a priest to follow, precautions to be taken and the Veda mantras to be recited at each step.