Tirumala Devi

Tirumala Devi
Princess of Srirangapattana Patta Mahishi
Krishnadevaraya with his two wives Tirumala Devi and Chinna Devi. Tirumala Devi is on the right.
Empress consort of the Vijayanagara Empire
Tenure	8 August 1509 – c. 1529
Spouse	Krishnadevaraya
Issue	Tirumalamba Tirumala Ramchandra
House	Tuluva (by marriage)
Father	King Veerappodeya
Religion	Hinduism

Tirumala Devi (also known as Tirumalamba) was the senior wife and chief queen (patta mahishi) of Emperor Krishnadevaraya, who is considered to be the greatest ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire. She was also the most honoured wife of Krishnadevaraya, and the mother of his heir-apparent, Prince Tirumala.

By birth, Tirumala Devi was a princess of Srirangapattana, a sub-kingdom of the Vijayanagara Empire, which was ruled by her father King Veerappodeya.

Tirumala Devi was one of the daughters of King Veerappodeya, who ruled Srirangapattana. She was married to Krishnadevaraya most probably in 1498 and was crowned as his chief empress upon his accession to the Vijayanagra throne in 1509. Tirumala Devi lived on apparently for the entire period of her husband's reign and accompanied him constantly. She also played a dominant role during this period as the chief empress and accompanied Krishnadevaraya during his military campaigns, including the Kalinga war.

Tirumala Devi was very much interested in poetry. She had her own treasury, her own female servants and she had complete independence, she was also a great devotee and a great donor. As she was Krishnadevaraya's favourite, she enjoyed all the power and privileges in the court.

Nandi Thimmana (popularly known as Mukku Timmana), the celebrated Telugu poet and one of the Astadiggajas at Krishnadevaraya's court, was a gift from Tirumala Devi's father to his son-in-law. Mukku Timmana was the second great poet of the royal court after Allasani Peddana. His life-work Parijatapaharana (which occupies a very high place in Telugu literature) was dedicated to Krishnadevaraya and composed to resolve a fight between Krishnadevaraya and Tirumala Devi.

Tirumala Devi was the most honoured wife of Krishnadevaraya. The suburb of Tirumala-devi pattana (around the present Sannakki Veerabhadra temple in Hospet) was laid out during the reign of Krishnadevaraya in honour of Tirumala Devi, while Nagalpura was named after Krishnadevaraya's mother Nagala Devi.