[Advaita-l] Any Vishnu temples run by smarthas?

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,
 
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Just curious, is the deity considered to be self-manifested here?
 
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I don't know whether it is considered to be self-manifested or not.  But legend 
says that the landlord of Pithapuram (Pithapuram Zamindar) was mysteriously 
guided in a dream and was ordered to dig a certain place in the mountain 
to find these idols.  Unline other vishnu idols, this Satyanarayana idol 
has a "moustache" which denotes the "veeratva" to resemble the "kShAtra tejas".  
And hence, named as "Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy".
 
Whatever be the legend, i was told that these idols were consecrated by this zamindar
and placed the moustache as a mark of his dynasty so that people would recognize 
the similarities of "veera lakShaNa" both in the Idols as well as his dynasty.  
 
Several are such temples which were constructed by the Kings and the deity marks 
certain semblances of those kings and are even named after those kings so that posterity
would remember them and their "veeratva" in the battles.  So, this satyanarayana swamy temple could be one among them.
 
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Talking of yantras, there is a legend that SrI Adi Sankara established a
yantra at tirupati. However, I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this
legend.

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Not sure whether Sankara Bhagavatpada established yantra in Tirupati because i didn't
find anything near the feet because I usually have the darshan very closely owing 
to my closeness with TTD Board Officials.  
 
But again, this probability cannot be overruled and neglected because certain subtle things are only revealed through "upAsana bala".  It is said that Srividya Mantra Japa Siddhi is easily achieved if practiced in Tirumala Kshetra.  
 
regs,
sriram