Tirupati Travel Guide

A travel guide to the abode of Lord Venkateswara. Situated on the shore of South India, being one of the richest and holiest places in the world, this is one of the most famed pilgrims' destination in India, known for its devotional and cultural heritage. As we all know, yearly millions of devotees worldwide visit this holy Dham.

A common confusion among pilgrims is that Tirupathi and Tirumala are the same. Tirupathi is a town in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. On the other hand, Tirumala is referred to as the seven hills which form an important part of Tirupathi. "Thiru" means Shree and "Mala" means hill; it is a Tamil word.

Journey to Abode of Lord Venkateswara

The majestic white color statue of Garuda, the Vehicle of Lord Vishnu welcomes the pilgrims with folded hands. Every vehicle has to undergo checking at this Alipiri check post, like any other place in India.

Tirupati to Tirumala Trip

Here you have to purchase a ghat road travel ticket at a pretty affordable price. The primary purpose of issuing tickets is to see the time consumed by a vehicle to reach Tirumala. However, each vehicle has to take a minimum of 45 minutes to 1 hour to reach the exit point for avoiding accidents on Ghats.

They register the vehicle name along with the time they are entering at the entry point. The same will be checked at the exit point before allowing the vehicle into Tirumala.

Travel time from Banglore to Tirumala approximately around 5 hours by car. There are no direct bus services to Tirumala. You need to take the bus to Tirupathi, catch another bus from Tirupathi or hire taxi jeeps to Tirumala.

Plenty of taxi services are available to Tirumala from the Tirupathi town. From Chennai, by car, it takes about 3 hours, and by bus, about 3 hours 30 minutes. If you come to Tirupati from Chennai by road, do check out these temples on the way from Chennai to Tirupati.

Stay and Darshan ticket at Tirumala

Getting a rest/guest house and a Darshan ticket on time used to be very difficult a few years back. However, TTD made it easy for pilgrims by making ticket bookings online. I would personally advise that one who is planning to visit the abode of Lord Venkateswara should make sure to get tickets booked prior to the visit.

Still, one advantage is that they can decide on the Seva they will do for God. If no slots are available, then you can go to the nearby TTD temple board in your area and book it with them. You can even make online donations.

We were put up at a very comfortable guest house with a very beautiful view from the balcony. The roads were so clean that you can even walk without footwear.

If you are looking for some luxury stay, you can try the Balaji Guest home, Aditya Birla Nilayam, Lakshmi VPR guest home, and Tirumala Sainik Niwas with their price range starting from 2500 – 3000 rupees.

TTD made things easy for devotees. Open the TTD office site, select pilgrim services in that select rest houses. You will find the price range for different rest houses. Then go for advance booking and book your selected rooms.

Climbing seven hills on foot and free Darshana

Many pray to God that, if the wish comes true they climb seven hills on foot and have his Darshan. For this, there is a separate route where you need to climb approximately 3500 steps. Initially, the climb will be quite painful, but as you progress in your journey you find small roads for around 1km followed by broader steps to climb.

The best thing is that the steps are covered with sheets, so the pilgrims will not feel the heat as they do in other temples in India. Other than this, you will find a number of snack shops where you can stop, have water and a light snack, and resume your journey.

Free darshan ticket will be given to all the devotees who come to Tirumala through climbing steps. After finishing the tiring step climbing, pilgrims go to their reserved guest house and freshen up before they go for free darshan.

Here, another hectic task is that you need to stand in the queue for long hours. However, the members of TTD continuously provide water and food to the devotees in the queue line without any cost. After the long and tiring journey and finally making it to the Lord's abode, makes it feels worth going through the struggle.

The positive vibes and devotee shouting "Govinda Govinda" along with reverberating mantra chanting "Om Namo Venkateshaya," bring goosebumps to devotees, and for some tears, with overwhelming devotion.

Dos and Don’ts at Tirumala

Not to carry any non-veg or any kind of masala with oneself while traveling to the abode of Lord Venkateswara.

Consumption of alcohol or any other malpractices on the hills is strictly prohibited.

No flammable items, weapons, and fireworks are allowed inside Tirumala.

The use of any tobacco product is prohibited here.

While going to darshan, devotees shall wear only traditional dresses applicable for both men and women.

PDA on the hills is strictly prohibited.

Legend of Lord Venkateswara

This all known story but having the power and love of Lord Vishnu. Once Maharishis were doing one Mahayajnam at the Naimishrayana. When the rishis were in dilemma as to whom they should give the Yajna Phalam among the trinity?

Narada Maharishi who happens to visit the place suggests Bhrigu Maharishi find out which diety is the right recipient of the Yajna Phalam.

This is accepted by all the other maharishis presentsite. Bhrigu Maharishi first visits Brahma Loka where the Lord of creation was immersed in the music played by Saraswathi Devi and was not aware of Bhrigu's arrival.

They did not notice the arrival of the Maharishi. Of course, this vexes maharishi and he curses Lord Shiva that people will make in Shiva Lingar of earth.

Later, he goes to Vaikuntam—the abode of Lord Vishnu, in which Lord Vishnu spends time with Lakshmi Devi lying on Adi shesha. Even Lord Vishnu did not notice Bhrigu Maharishi's arrival. The enraged Maharishi in a fit of rage kicks on Lord Vishnu's chest, a residence of Maa Lakshmi.

It is actually Lord Vishnu who, knowing the ignorance of Maharishis, calms him by saying sorry to the rishi. As the Lord touched the Maharishi's foot, his ignorance of mind disappeared and he felt ashamed of the heinous act, asking for forgiveness.

Srivari Padalu

Another important place to visit in Tirumala is Srivari Padalu, where Lord Venkateswara kept his foot for the first time. From the top of the hill, one gets a picturesque view of all the seven hills.

I never got a chance to enjoy the panoramic view of the hill at peace as it is always packed with pilgrims. Previously, the Padalu(Foot) of god used to be open, now it is kept in a glass box so that no one will touch it.

Leaving aside all this, there is a lot more in the home of Lord Venkateswara. If time permits, do visit Aksha Ganga. Tirumala is a place of beauty; you will find ample parks to relax and enjoy your quality time amidst peace.

If you are a wildlife lover, the Sri Venkateswara Wild Sanctuary is where you should be. If you are keen on knowing about the kings of this place or the temple's history, step into the museum. Also, check out the Tiruchanur Temple of Alamelumanga, another name for Padmavathi Devi.