Tirumala is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations for Hindus. It is therefore not surprising that more than 50,000 pilgrims visit the temple everyday. Here we try to help you plan your trip Tirupati
Reaching Tirupati : Tirupati is well connected from most parts of
Accommodation:
There are various options:
- Tirumala - Tirupati Devsthnam Trust (
- Various religious Mutts offer accommodation in Tirumala. Details of these options are provided in Travel paisa – Tirumala Please bear in mind that each of these Mutts have their own policy
- There are various hotels in Tirupati. List of these hotels with Contact details can be found at Travel Paisa - Tirupati
Other
There are many important temples around Tirupati -
Climbing Tirumala Hills:
One can Choose to climb Tirumala hills from Tirupati as do lakhs of devotees every year. It is a memorable climb. There are lot of rest points where you can refresh with Snacks/ Cool drinks. There are many small parks and animal enclosures along the way. It takes around three hours to reach Tirumala temple.
Have a wonderful darshan of Lord Srinivasa at TirumalaTirumala - Tirupati
Tirupati is a temple town in Chittoor District in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located at the foot hills of Tirumala.
Tirupati is a world in itself, millions of pilgrims from all over
The temple is patronized by the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, the Vijayanagar Rulers and the later kings of
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is an independent trust which monitors the activities of the
The TTD's stated goals include the restoration of Sanathana Dharma, reviving various failing temples of
Tirupati is in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is most famous for its Sri Venkateswara Temple dedicated to Vishnu, also known as Balaji in North Indian and Govinda in South Indian. The temple is located on top of Tirumala hills, while the town is located on the foothills. The Tirumala hill has seven peaks ("Sapthagiri"), said to represent the seven hoods of Adisesha, the serpent under whose hoods Vishnu resides in Vaikuntha.
Overview
Tirupati is on the southern border of Andhra Pradesh, very close to
History
Lord Venkateswara also called the Lord of the seven hills. This temple has acquired a special sanctity in Hindu religion. The benefits that accrue by a pilgrimage to this holy town is mentioned in the Vedas and Puranas. Hindus all over the world believe that in Kali Yuga its possible to attain mukti only by worshipping Lord Venkateswara. Around 50,000 pilgrims visit the temple every day.
Get in
By plane
Indian Airlines operates daily flights between Hyderabad, New Delhi and Tirupati. Air Deccan has a daily flight between
By train
Tirupati is a major junction in South Central Railways. Indian Railways operates direct trains from near by metro cities -
By bus/car
National Highway NH 205 passes through Renigunta and hence is accessible from Chennai (4-6hrs),
- Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) - from
- Tamil Nadu State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) - from Chennai
- Karnataka State Road Transport Coroporation (KSRTC) - from
Package tours
It is possible to go on a package tour from various places to Tirupati, with the operator taking care of transport, accommodation and sight-seeing.
From Chennai
Going from Chennai is not a bad idea as it is the nearest Airport which has international & Domestic connections.
- TTD Information Centre, V V R Dharmasala, 198 & 199,
- Swarnandhra tours, from AP tourism +91 44 2433 3010, +91 44 2433 1977 (from Chennai. You will have to personally go and do the reservations.) [1] offers a two-day package tour from various places in the country, particularly from
Tirupati to Tirumala
Pilgrims can reach the foot hill city of
Another popular method of travel from Tirupati to Tirumala is walking (by foot) for pilgrims who wish to fulfill a vow - a hindu religious tradition. There are 2 paths (or sopanamargas)
- Path 1: Alipiri is a suburb at the foot of the hills and the starting location of a 11 km hill climbing route. Alipiri route is the most common route and used by pilgirms on most occasions. It takes about 4 hours at normal walking speed to climb the hill. The first hill consists of 2500 stairs and is the most difficult to climb. After the first hill, it is crossing the valleys till we hit the mokala parvatam (Kneecap Hill) which consists of another 600 stairs. In all, the overall distance of 9 kms has approximately 3500 stairs. There are several shops selling soda (prefer salted lime soda for hydration), snacks, mineral water and soft drinks along the way. Usually the prices in these shops are higher than the maximum retail price indicated on the labels. As all the hills are very holy, do not walk with footwear. TTD has made arrangements to piligrims to transfer/transport the footwear on to the top. By the time, the piligrims reach Tirumala, the footwear also reaches.
- Path 2: A less common and short path used by the local people and traders isChandragiri. The path is only 6 km in length but is a more difficult route through the forest. Pilgrims are advised to avoid this path and prefer to stick to the Alipiri route.
See
Tirumala
Temples
- Swami Pushkarini
Holy water sites
- Akasaganga Teertham
- Papavinasanam Teertham
- Pandava Teertham
- Kumaradhara Teertham
- Tumbhuru Teertham
- Ramakrishna Teertham
- Chakra Teertham
- Vaikuntha Teertham
- Sesha Teertham
- Sitamma Teertham
- Pasupu Teertham
- Japali Teertham
- Sanaka Sanandana Teertham
Tourist attractions
- Silathoranam
- Asthana Mandapam
- Sri Venkateswara Dhyana Vignan Mandiram
Tirupati
Temples
Do
- Visit the Sri Varaswamy temple before taking the darshan of Sri Venkateswara Swami. As per traditions and legend, Varaswamy owned the seven hills and agreed to give them to Venkateswara swamy on the condition that he is worshipped as well. Hence, Sri Venkateswara Swami asked his pilgrims to visit the Sri Varaswamy temple before visiting him
Respect
While in Tirumala don't
- Consume alcohol.
- Eat non-vegetarian food.
- Wear flowers - all flowers are for the Lord only.
- Spit or Litter or create any kind of Nuisance.
Buy
When visiting the greatest of temples of the Lord Sri Venkateswara, one must not forget to purchase an image of the lord; only two photos have been taken Sri Venkateswara in history. There is also a very holy sweet which one must not forget to purchase at the temple. This is the renowned Tirupati Laddu, which is the main offering to the presiding deity of the temple. Mind you it tastes quite well too, so make sure to get lots of laddu.
Other than these two products which are renowned in the region, many holy articles can also be purchased and a shopkeeper shall be only too happy to assist you with that.
The SAPTHAGIRI magazine was started as a TTD bulletin in 1949. It is now being circulated all over the country as an illustrated, religious magazine, released monthly, in five languages - Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English.
Eat
For Drinking it is advisable to use bottled mineral water only as the water available here might be sour in taste. As mentioned in the later section, the laddu of tirupati is "nearly" as famous as the deity himself. One should not fail to have a taste of this very special and holy sweet.
- Bhimas
- Mayura
Sleep
Tirupati
Private Accomodation is available in Tirupati city with numerous hotels catering to the pilgrims. TTD provides for paid and free accomodation in Tirupati for pilgrims
Paid: Sri Venkateswara Dharmasala (Opp. Tirupati Railway Station), Sri Venkateswara Guest House (North of Railway Station), Sri Kodandarama Dharmasala (South of Railway Station) and TTD Alipiri Guest House (near foothills) offer non air-conditioned accomodation. Sri Padmavathi Guest House (on
Free: Sri Govindaraja Dharmasala, Sri Kodanda Rama Dharmasala and Sri Venkateswara Dharmasala offer free accomodation to pilgrims
Tirumala
TTD has built cottages in Tirumala that can be rented by pilgrims. There are 3 categories of accomodation, based on location:
- Sri Padmavathi Guest House Area (Rs 100 to Rs 250 for Non-AC accomodation, Rs. 500 to Rs. 2500 for AC accomodation, )
- Sri Venkateswara Guest House Area (Rs. 100 to Rs. Rs. 250 for Non AC accomodation, Rs 600 to Rs 750 for AC accomodation)
- Sr Varahaswami Guest House, Rambagicha, HUDC, Travellers Bungalows Cottages Area (Rs. 15 to Rs 150 for Non AC accomodation).
TTD also provides free accomodation in choultries. Pilgrims can contact Central Reception Office near Bus Stand for free accomodation.
Reservation for AC accomodation and Non-AC accomodation above Rs 100 per day can be made only at the Central Reception Office, Tirumala. For reservation of Non-AC accomodation upto Rs. 100 per day, Pilgrims can make reservations upto 30 days in advance. Reservations can be made in person at TTD Information Centres in
Alternately reservation can be made by sending a Demand Draft (DD) for Rs. 100 drawn on any Indian nationalised bank in favor of 'Assistant Executive Officer'. The DD has to be posted to Assistant Executive Officer (Reception-I) TTD, Tirumala - 517504. For multiple rooms, it is advised to take multiple DDs for Rs 100 each.
Be warned that at times of the year, and around festive occasions you have to book in advance. If you are travelling budget, your best bet is to stay with the TTD, the rooms tend to be clean, well lit and the housekeeping facilities are acceptable. Suggested places, other than TTD lodges are the Kashi Mutt, Ahobila Mutt, Kanchi Mutt among several others (all are close to each other on a ring road, and can be approached by foot from the temple). Be warned though that priority is given to people associated with the mutt's community and you will neither get room service nor air conditioned rooms - but the rooms are well maintained, clean and come with clean beds and sheets. For the Mutt maintained lodges, prior registration is strongly advised.
Drink
Tirupathi and Tirumala is a pilgrimage town. People on pilgrimage don't drink or eat non-vegetarian food. Consumption of liquor is prohibited in Tirumala. Smoking is also not allowed in Tirumala.
Lord Venkateswara as seen in the
The Tirumala hills comprising of the seven hills of Vrushabadri, Garudadri, Anjanadri , Simhadri , Neeladri , Venkatadri and Seshadri is the abode of the Tirumala Venkateswara temple. The hill town (Tirumala) and the temple (
The varied names ascribed to the main deity are Balaji, Srinivasa, Venkateswara and Venkatachalapathy. The goddess Sri or Lakshmi (Vishnu's consort), resides on the chest of Venketeswara thus he is also known by the epithet Srinivasa (the one in whom Sri resides). The deity is seen by devotees as the Kali yuga varada, that is 'the boon-granting lord of Kali yuga' (the fourth and final age of Hindu cycle of ages). The temple is held in particular reverence by the Vaishnava sect of southern
For worshippers, the deity Venkateshwara symbolizes goodness. When people travel to Tirupati, they chant "Yedu Kondala Vada Govinda" (in Telugu), "Yezhu malaiyaane Govinda" (in Tamil) or "Tirupati Thimmappana Padakke Govinda" (in Kannada). With his conch he creates the cosmic sound that destroys ignorance and with his disc he destroys evil. Venkateshwara is believed by followers to be a very merciful deity form of Vishnu, being the fulfiller of every wish made to him by the devotees.
The temple brings around 60,000 pilgrims every day.[1] The popularity of the temple can be judged by the annual income which was estimated at Rs 5.3 billion in 2004[2]
Sri Venkatachala Mahatyam is the most accepted legend with respect to Tirumala and provides the history of the temple across the various yugas.
Of the other legends, the following are most known:
- Ranganathaswamy at Srirangam (the main deity) is believed to have manifested on its own without any human endeavour (Swayambhu)
- Discovery of the Venkateshwara deity is described as an act of divine providence: there was a huge anthill at Tirupati, and one day a local farmer heard a voice from the heavens asking him to feed the ants. By chance the local king heard the voice and began supplying milk for the ants himself. His compassion resulted in the liquid uncovering the magnificent deity form of Venkateshwara hidden beneath the anthill.
The exact beginnings of the temple are shrouded in antiquity and its origins are a matter of debate. K. Jamandas argues that the temple and its deity were originally buddhist. However, this is not the mainstream view. The Sangam literature of Tamil such as Silapadikaram and Satanar's Manimekalai, dated between 500 B.C to 300 A.D, mentions Thiruvengadam (now named Tirupati) as the northernmost frontier of the Tamil Kingdoms. Other Indian literature dating during the Mauryan and Guptan regimes mention it as "Aadhi Varaha Kshetra" (The ancient site of Varaha). Till the time of Ramanuja, the famous Vaishnava scholar of the 12th century, the identity of the deity was still disputed until he confirmed it to be indeed Vishnu.
The site was an established center by the 5th century A.D, and the Alvars (Vaishnava saints) belonging to the Bhakti movement in Tamilnadu sung in praise of Venketeswara. Its significance in
Medieval History
It was under the regime of the Vijayanagara emperors that the temple attained the majority of its current opulence[3] and size with the donation of expensive jewellery made of diamonds and gold. The coronation ceremonies of the emperors were also held at Tirupati. In 1517, Krishnadevaraya, on one of his many visits to the temple, donated gold and jewels enabling the Vimana (inner shrine) roofing to be gilded. The Maratha general Raghoji Bhonsle visited the temple and set up a permanent administration for the conduct of worship in the temple. Among the later rulers who endowed large benefactions were the rulers of
In 1843, with the coming of the East India Company, the administration of the Shri Venkateshwara temple and a number of shrines was entrusted to Seva Dossji of the Hathiramji Mutt at Tirumala as Vicaranakarta for nearly a century until 1932 when Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was established as a result of T.T.D Act, 1932.
Prasadam
Laddu is the most famous prasadam given at
Darshan and Queue System
Tirumala possibly has the most elaborate arrangement in
Individual devotees are required to register at any of the many queue offices situated near the main shrine, at the local rail and bus stations in Tirumala and Tirupati as well as at TTD offices in other key cities like Hyderabad and Chennai. On registration, devotees are provided with a bar-coded wristband with the expected time and date of entry into the Vaikuntam Queue Complex. At the time of registration biometrics (finger print and photo) is administered to eliminate the involvement of middlemen. Devotees contributing for Special Darshan or Puja Darshan tickets are moved up the queue virtually as well as inside the temple complex though all devotees are treated equally from the point of entry into the sanctum sanctorum.
Typically, devotees spend between 60 to 180 minutes going through the Queue complex, depending on the season. The delay increases during weekends, festival periods and special
http://www.tirumala-tirupati.com/index.php
an also help from
http://www.tirumala.org/
Mr. Ritesh Kotian
