Pranesh Datar

Pranesh Datar

June 2012 Travel Guide to June 2007

June 2012

Pranesh Datar the author of the eBook "Travel Guide to Tirupati" is the Sole Copyright holder of all versions of the Book( eBook,Hard copy and any other electronic or mechanical forms).

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the author. Printing and sale of this document is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Author’s Not e

ith a little bit planning the chances of success are Whigh, with that objective this book is written and after reading this book hope your trip to will be a memorable one in all aspects. Along with the Blessings of Lord you (and your family) should carry home very good memories of the trip and this should lead to more frequent trip for the Darshan of the Lord. We all feel Enthralled by the Darshan of The Lord, as the Sole Savior of the mankind in KALIYUGA it is but natural that we turn to him at times of happiness and distress, as he embraces all those who seek Him. This book is an attempt to put together all relevant information about Tirupati and present it as a guide for the trip, in spite of our perfect planning a good and memorable trip can ONLY happen with Blessings of the Lord, all the planning is useless if He does not Bless the trip, on the contrary without reading a book like this, one can have memorable trip, if He Wishes, being human all we can do is to Pray for his Blessings, while doing so we can at best try to organize things for the trip, as they say chance favors a prepared mind. Writing a book on this subject is a difficult exercise as the changes happen regularly and in a few cases the information written may be outdated, if you come across any such instance, please do write to the author so that it can corrected in the next edition and it will prevent others from making the same mistake. Most of us aspire to have at least one Darshan of the Lord in our life time and few fortunate one's do have it more often and God encourages people to visit Him more often and to be with Him for while, so that we can be at peace with ourselves. With Blessings of The Lord Venkateshwara I am writing this book. May The Almighty Bless us all and let more of the Humanity get a chance to have His Darshan. After reading this book even if FIVE people are inspired to undertake a pilgrimige trip to Tirupati I would consider that my mission has suceeded.

Pranesh Data r 25th, June 2007 Ba hr ain

Author’s Note-2nd Edition

t has taken 5 years to edit and publish the 2 nd Edition of the I Tirupati Pilgrimage Book. While the first had a different set of objectives, I have focused the second edition as quick guide, most of section in the story, accommodation etc have remained unchanged, internet does offers latest information that suit the reader, major change has happened in the Darshan section, this has been updated to the best of my knowledge, if you notice any incorrect information please bring it to my notice (authors email address given below). Earlier version of E-Book was password protected, some people had difficulty in getting password, those issues have been addressed, down loading, opening document and printing should be a simple thing in this version.

Thanks for downing loading the book, hope you find it useful and recommend it to your friends.

HareSrinivasa

Pranesh Datar

Australia June 2012 [email protected] [email protected] CO NTEN TS

Chapter 1 The Place 7 The Legend- A Brief History of Tirumala 8 Climate 13 Ecology and Environment, Flora and Fauna 13 Art and culture 14 Music 14

Chapter 2 Arriving at Tirupati 16 Getting There 16 Conducted Tours 16 Air 18 Road 18 Rail 19

Chapter 3 Tirupati 24 Tourist and TTD Office 24 Places to Stay 24 Places to Eat 26 Places to See 26

Chapter 4 Tirumala 31 Reaching Tirumala 31 Places to stay 33 Places to Eat 38 Chapter 5 The Darshan 39 Sevas to the Lord 43 Offering Hair 45 Laddu 46 Other places of interest 46 List Of Sevas 49 Travel Guide to Tiru pati - The Place 6

Chapter I

The Place

Travel Guide to Tiru pati - The Place 7

THE PLACE Govinda!!!!!! Govinda !!!!!!!!!! Sounds get louder as we near the inner door of the temple and people get impatient every minute and this leads to more push, pull and jostling. The Khaki ‘Q’ guard has just opened a shortcut rope and let in people on the route that is shorter and people in normal ‘Q’ get more restless. Some of those in ‘Q” may have waited over 18 to 20 hrs to be with the Lord for a few seconds and still have enough energy to take the name of the Lord as they push through (or get pushed rather) and as we near the Sanctum sanctorum the pitch gets louder. Finally we are on the ramp near the entrance of the main temple and sign board says "have Darshan of the Lord through the mirror" and you look there eagerly as you move to the level plane the sign board now reads "have Darshan of the Lord from here as you move closer to Him". At this point the parents with young ones lift the kids up or put them on their shoulders so that the young ones can see the reason for being in the ’Q’ or even travel all the way from their home town to be with the Almighty for a few seconds and these few seconds are the most precious ones - for the hour, the day , the month, the year or a life time (in a few cases). At last you get your first glimpse of the Lord, suddenly emptiness starts filling up and you find yourself right in front of the Lord and you notice that pushing has stopped, but it is the marshals now holding your arm and pushing you forward, you continue to stare at the Lord and your hands raise up to do Namaskara and your feet have almost stopped moving and you cannot take your eye of the Lord and you are now moving away from Him and walking backwards and you freeze there till the marshal gives you another push and now at the door and still focusing on the Lord and in fraction of a second you will be out of the door and your Moment with the Lord has ended. The people coming out are quiet, the crowd going inside are in the same spirit as you were a few moments ago and the difference in people going in and coming out is very clear and what has made them quiet and they look so content! Some feel that the excitement that they had since they planned the trip has just now climaxed and they have to wait for the next trip to have one more Darshan of the Lord. What makes people to go through all this just to be with the Lord for few seconds? Well the answer is not a simple one and could be more like the story of four blind men feeling a elephant and giving four different answers, but in this case all the answers are right. What we are making contact in those few seconds is the ultimate Truth of all the living beings on earth and the sole protector, this is more true at Tirumala as we are now in Kaliyuga, He is the One and the Only One and here( in Tirumala) He is presenting Himself to the people whom he loves and will do all he can to see that all his subjects are happy. This is what that makes Tirumala so special, as said earlier this is last resort in Kaliyuga and there is nothing beyond this. So the sea of humanity you see here are all those who have Travel Guide to Tiru pati - The Place 8 realized this truth and have come here to share a few moments with the Lord. Best time for the Pilgrimage If you wish to have a quiet trip with plenty of time in front of Lord and would like to have Darshan more than once in the same trip then it is better to plan the trip so that you don't land up in Tirumala when there is heavy rush. The numbers give the correct picture, at peak time (weekend, National holiday or summer vacation time) 50,000 pilgrims have Darshan of the Lord in a day, if 20 Hrs per day darshan is allowed, then each devotee will get just 1.44 seconds in front of Lord and if you take in to account the time you get in ‘U’ turn in front of the Lord then it can at best be 15 seconds. So you now see how important it is to time your visit to Tirumala so that you don’t get caught in peak time like the one illustrated above and this book is an attempt in that direction. The reason for visiting can be many say an annual visit, at the end of a successful completion of an event like marriage, better job, promotion etc. you go there to thank Him or at moments of distress you rush to Lord to seek answers from Him or as a part of your south Pilgrimage trip. If you are planning the trip in advance then you can book and room for yourself in Tirumala and of course the journey ticket to Tirupati, if you wish to have a minimum waiting period for the darshan you can avoid going there on weekends, especially those which are clubbed with National Holidays, the western calendar New year (1st January) and 2nd and third week of January as after Sabarmalai trip some of the piligrims go to Tirupati also. The annual festival time at Tirumala like Brahmostavam are the best times to avoid. If you have to make the trip without much planning then you can try Tuesday as on those days the weekend crowd would have returned and as this is just the beginning of week people may not go there, on few days there are some unexpected crowd which is hard to explain. It is best to know the story of Tirumala as this will help us to understand a few things that we do as part of Pilgrimage to Tirumala, like visiting the Varahaswamy temple before we see the Lord Venkateshwara. So as per LEGEND here is the story of Tirumala.

A Brief Story of TIRUMALA Muni entered chanting Narayana, Narayana and asked the sages who were conducting the Yagna "who will bear the fruits of the yagna for the Universal Good". The sages had no ready answer for that and were divided on the issue and they started arguing with each other on the merits of their favorites, finally Narada Muni said "to Test the Trimurthtis is not an easy task" and said Brigu Muni is the best person for the task, everybody agreed. In selecting Brighu, Narada had a plan of his own to teach the Muni with super human powers a lesson of humility.

*This is the reason why we visit Varahaswamy Temple before Darshan of Lord Venkateshwara. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - The Place 9

Brighu first visited in Satyaloka, Brahma was seated on the golden throne with Saraswathi and other dignitaries were also present. Brighu barged in and occupied the throne without even saluting the Head of the Assembly, this made Brahma angry and chided him for his poor manners. Now it was Brighus turn to get angry, he got down from the throne and said "O Lord you never tried to understand why I came here and you are shouting at me, I curse you that there will be no temple for you in Bhooloka and none will worship you", saying thus he proceeded to Kailash. The guards warned Brighu not to enter the room as was in company of wife Parvathi and privacy was sought, Brigu ignored the warning and marched in to the room, on seeing Brighu an embarrassed Parvathi fled the room and Shiva got wild and chided him for his ill mannered act and lack of decency. He took his Trishul and aimed at him but Parvathi intervened and stopped Him. It was now the turn of Brighu to speak, he said "Even without knowing the reason for my coming here you aimed Thrishul at me and you bear my curse for that you will be worshiped in temples in the shape of Linga instead of your shape" and stormed out of Kailash and proceeded to Vaikunta. The beauty of Vaikuntam was spell binding, it is the abode of Maha and his concert . Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and where she is, wealth and prosperity flow. Vishnu was resting with Lakshmi on the serpent bed, the experience of Satyaloka and Kailash had made Brighu to conclude that they had failed in the test and was hoping to receive better treatment here. Sri Hari (Vishnu) though aware of arrival of Muni ignored him and pretended to be unaware of his arrival, this provoked him and without second thought he kicked Maha Vishnu on the chest with his right foot, an unperturbed Vishnu got up from the bed and made the Muni sit on the bed and pressed his legs and enquired whether the jewels he wore had hurt him, saying so he reached for the Third eye of Muni that is in his feet, the pride of the Maha Rishi lay in this Eye, he then pinched the Third Eye. Vishnu enquired " O MahaRishi let me know the purpose of your visit" having lost the powers Brighu realized his mistake and asked for forgiveness from Vishnu, who told him that it was destined to be so and it was not his fault and wished him success for his endeavor. Brighu explained to him purpose of the visit and Vishnu agreed to receive the benefit of the Yagna. Brighu then returned to earth and explained all that had happened and conveyed his decision that Sri Vishnu will receive the benefit of the yagna. On the banks of Ganges the Yagna was conducted and Vishnu was there to receive the fruits of yagna and then returned to Vaikuntam . Travel Guide to Tiru pati - The Place 10

The place Brighu kicked Vishnu was the place of Lakshmi and this act made sanctity of the place to be lost and become impure, Laksmi told her husband " you are the ruler of fourteen lokas and yet you tolerated the Maharshis act and even entertained him, I am unable to tolerate this and I am leaving this place and I will not let go that , saying so she cursed the entire Brahmin community on earth will be deprived of the wealth and shall survive only by selling their knowledge and Lakshmi left Vaikuntam for Bhoolokam. Very soon Vaikuntam lost all the charm and inhabitants were unhappy, unable to bear separation from Lakshmi, Narayana also reached earth and was looking for her every where, not finding her Sri Hari reached Tirupati, sat under a Tree in Valmika at the Adi Varaha's shrine in meditation praying for the return of his dear wife, Lakshmi. Narada visited satyaloka and told his father Brahma about the condition of Sri Vishnu who was starving for food and was weak and urged him to take care of him. Brahma asked him to go to Kohlapur and inform Lakshmi about this and he himself proceeded to Kailash to meet Shiva. Brahma explained to Shiva the condition of Vishnu and suggested that he and Shiva to take shape of a cow and a calf and feed Vishnu , Shiva agreed. As directed Narada reached Kohlapur and informed Lakshmi of the condition of Vishnu, she burst into tears and was worried, she prayed to Brahma and Maheshwar to come to her rescue. Brahma explained the plan, asked her to turn herself into cowherd and take the cow and calf to and sell it to the king. On learning that the cow and calf were of very special breed the king bought the cow and his wife wanted to feed milk to her child from the new cow. But the Queen noticed that, not one day the cowherd brought milk from the new cow, she enquired the cowherd and threatened to punish if he did not bring milk next day. The cow herd kept an eye on cow next day to his surprise as soon as it reached Venkatachlam it got separated from rest of the herd and on reaching valmika it started raining milk into an hole, the cowherd could not control his anger and raised his axe to kill the cow, Sri Hari saw that the cow which was feeding him is about to be hit, he himself came out and took the blow, he was hit on the head and started bleeding .The Divine cow ran to the palace and made loud noise, the king came out to see what the commotion was about and was led by the cow to Sri Hari. The king enquired who you are and sought his pardon for causing the harm, Sri Hari held him responsible for the action of the cowherd and cursed him to become a ghost. The king begged for forgiveness as he never ordered the cowherd to kill cow and hence he should be spared, Sri Hari told him that the curse cannot be withdrawn and after this life he will be reborn in the same family and will be named AkashRaja and will give his daughter Travel Guide to Tiru pati - The Place 11

Sri Hari was wandering in the forest for medicine and he heard ,he went inside and recognized his foster mother from Dwaparayuga who was reborn as Vakuladevi, on knowing it was the next avatara of Sri Krishna she was over joyed and it was a memorable reunion. She took care of Sri Hari by applying medicine and when enquired what she should call him, Sri Hari said anything, she called him Srinivasa. They both went to the temple of Varahaswamy and prayed . Sri Hari requested him to give him some land so that he can live there with his mother. Varhaswamy replied that land can be given if he can pay the price, Sri Hari pleaded that since his wife Lakshmi was not with him he could not pay now and added that those who come to see him will first see him and then come to Srinivasa, Varhaswamy agreed.*

AkashRaja was born again in the Royal family and was the star in the eyes of his parents, when his father grew old he was made the king. He and his wife Dharani did not have children for a long time and on advice of Sukh MahaRishi performed the putrakamisti yagna. After the yagna while plowing the fields he stumbled on box, on opening that he found a beautiful baby girl kept in the middle of lotus petals, the royal couple were very happy and thanked the Lord for that and named her Padmavati.

Padmavathi grew up to be a very intelligent and beautiful girl, one day when she was in her private garden, Srinivasa came there as he was thirsty during a hunting expedition and had wandered in to the garden.

Srinivasa took one look at and was astonished by her beauty, Padmavathi was taken aback by the stranger in the garden and asked her maids to drive him out, on learning that she was daughter of Akasharaja, Srinivasa told her that God had given her birth for His sake and he will have her at any cost.

On returning back to Simhachalam he was like sick man and Vakula Devi enquired what was wrong with him, Srinivasa told her the full story. Padmavathi was the Vedavati who was kidnapped by Ravana thinking that she was and requested Him to marry her, he had said that in this avatara he had taken Eakapatnivratha and that he could not marry her, he promised to marry her in Kaliyuga when he will be born as Srinivasa and she as Padmavathi.

On the other side Padmavathi was also facing lot of mental discomfort as she was attracted to the young man in the garden and could not believe herself that she can give her heart to commoner like him, this was having effect on her personality and she stopped going out and mixing with people. Her parents were worried and doctors were called to find out the cause, but they could not find anything wrong with her.

*This is the reason why we visit Varahaswamy Temple before Darshan of Lord Venkateshwara. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - The Place 12

To sort out the issue Srinivasa himself dressed up as a lady fortune teller and went to the palace, on hearing about this, the Queen came and asked him to see her daughter. On being told that she had given her heart to some one and will marry him at the right time, Padmavathi went red and bent her head in shyness. Seeing the miracle cure of her daughter the mother was worried and confided to her that husband she cannot think of her daughter marrying a commoner as she was used to Royal life and they both decided to consult the Guru, at that moment Padmavathi entered the room and told her parents that she will marry only Him and no one else.

Vakuladevi met the King and the Queen and asked for their daughters hand for her son Srinivasa, the King told her that they will consult their seniors and Guru. The King then invited Sukamaharshi and narrated what happened in detail. The Maharshi then told the king " you are very fortunate person as your son-in-law would be Sri Mannarayana himself".

The wedding was a grand event attended by Gods from all the fourteen Lokas including Shiva, Parvathi, Brahma and Saraswathi. After the wedding Srinivasa stayed at the ashram of Muni for six months. He asked Thondaman to build a temple for him in Seshachalam as he plans to stay there till the end of Kaliyuga and thus was built the Grand temple for him by Vishwa and Srinivasa's entry in to the temple was marked by lighting of two lamps by Brahma himself who declared that they will burn till the end of kaliyuga and then he took Srinivasa in procession on the streets, the celebrations were attended by kings of all the provinces, as the ustav was initiated by Brahma it is called as Brahmostava and is continued till now.

Naradamuni visited Lakshmi in Kohalapur, seeing Narada Lakshmi again got worried of her husband and enquired if anything was wrong with Narayana, Narada replied that what can go wrong as he is happily married and having a good life, this angered Lakshmi and she arrived at Seshachalam, seeing her husband with other women made her very angry and she asked Padmavathi who she was, an argument followed between the two of them, in the mean time Narayana seeing his present and past wife together turned into stone and he thus spoke and said Both Belong to Same Amsha and should not quarrel , he narrated to Lakshmi the story about Padmavathi, on hearing this Lakshmi embraced Padmavathi and Srinivasa continued " I have borrowed lot of money for the marriage and am in debt, I want you give wealth to Bhaktas so that they come to Tirupati and give it to me as offering, that way I can pay the interest to Kubera and principle will be repaid at the end of Kaliyuga and we will return to Vaikunta". He also added, the chest which was impure is cleaned and the right side can now be occupied by Lakshmi and Padmavathi can occupy Left side of the chest. This the story of Tirumala. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - The Place 13

Geography

Tirupati is located in the Chitoor dist. of . This is growing town with a population of over 3 laks and spread over 2 Sq. miles. This mainly serves as the base camp for the pilgrimage as this town is well connected to most of the important places in the country by rail and also most of the long distance Buses ply up to Tirupati. All the big hotels are located here and the only Air connection is located at which is 28 kms. away from here.

Tirumala is the temple town on the hill and is located on top of range of Seshachalam. Tirupati and Tirumala are connected by road through two Ghat roads and one way traffic plies on them, the down one has shorter route and is about 15Kms. The journey gives beautiful view of the range of hills and involves lot of hairpin bends.

Climate

In this part of the country weather is mostly hot and dry. Summer is between April and 1st Week of June, in the plains (Tirupati) temperature can go as high as 43 to 44 degrees and nights are also very warm. Rainy Season is between June 2nd week and July. The weather is warm and pleasant and not much rainfall is expected.

The best time to undertake the pilgrimage is between November to February. The most avoidable time is between April to June as the summer would make it very hot, the summer vacation for the school and this is also the marriage season in South India and Tirupati is very popular for marriages and the town has many Kalyana Mandaps and this also bring in lot of people to Tirupati and the waiting time for darshan is very high.

Ecology and Environment, Flora and Fauna The hill ranges is home to many a species and TTD is doing all it can to safe guard the environment and the natural habitat, with thousands of pilgrims visiting the place daily it is a difficult task. It has even started a scheme to protect the flora and fauna called the TTD Green schemes the details of which are given in the in the later part of the book.

TTD has dedicated itself to serving pilgrims who visit Tirumala and Tirupati. It provides facilities to make their pilgrimage a unique and rewarding spiritual experience. It also works towards preserving the serenity and sanctity of the sacred Tirumala-Tirupati area.

TTD is ever-conscious of the social, economic, religious and environmental needs, especially the needy. It undertakes several activities Travel Guide to Tiru pati - The Place 14

and has initiated different schemes in these areas.

Art and culture

The Kalahasti painting on textiles are very popular and adorn the walls of most of the important hotels in the city. The wood carvings of Kalahasti are also famous.

In addition to this usual things like the Brass articles and toys are also available. The town of Kanchi is very popular for the famous silk sarees.

Music

Bhakti through Music is most visibly seen in Tirumala, The Lord has inspired many great composers and singers, a few of them are.

Annamacharaya: Lived in the 14th century and is considered to be earliest one to compose and sing in the name of Lord. Over 10,000 of his compositions are still available now and he is supposed to have composed the kirtans in front of the Lord and even today his descendents sing in front of Lord during the Ekanta Seva.

Purandaradasa: Lived in late 14th the Early 15th century and visited Tirupati and has composed song in the praise of the Lord. His composition are in Kannada.

Thyagaraja: Lived in the mid 17th century and early 18th century, is said to hav e visited Tirupati and composed few songs in praise of the lord..

The Lord since ages been a constant inspiration for a lot singers and has broughtout the best in most of these composers, the route of worship ( ) through music is most evident in Tirupati. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Arriving at Tirupati 15

Chapter II

Arriving at

Tirupati Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Arriving at Tirupati 16

Arriving at Tirupati

The city of Tirupati is located at the foot of the Hills which is abode of Lord Balaji and serves as main transit point between Temple on the Hill and the other places. Tirupati is a temple town and life mostly revolves around the Pilgrims who come to this place on way to Tirumala and second most important part of the pilgrimage, at Tirchanur is just 12 Kms from here. TTD has put up a lot of other institutions here like Educational institutions and Hospitals. With all this development Tirupati has made its own name. It is also very popular for performing marriages.

Getting There

Being one of the holiest places in the country it is well connected by Rail, Road and Air from all the main cities in the country. If you are planning to visit Tirupati it is best to travel by train, but if you are visiting other places in south India then you can consider traveling from Chennai or Bangalore, the journey is shorter from these places and you can take direct bus to Tirumala. Among the two, Chennai is nearer and is very well connected by both Road and Rail. From Chennai you can even consider taking a taxi, the advantage with this is you have your own transport to go up the hill and the local sight seeing can also done at your leisure time.

Conducted Tours

This is the best and hassle free way to undertake the pilgrimage trip. APTDC offers conducted trips from Bangalore,Chennai,Hyderabad and Pondicherry (many more cities may have been added please check the website for the latest news and schedule). The trip is done in a luxury coach (Volvo bus in some cases) and it includes a transit accommodation for a few hours at one of the hotels managed by APDTC at the foot of the Hills near in Tirupati, where you can rest for a few hours and have bath and transportation to the top of the Hill i.e. Tirumala and most important the Darshan. The information available at the time of going to press is given in the following page, for further details and updated information please contact APTDC, Tourism House, Himayatnagar, Hyderabad - 500 063. Andhra Pradesh, India Phone: +91-40-23262151, +91-40-23262152, +91- 40-23262153, +91-40-23262154 +91-40-23262457 Fax: +91-40-23261801 website: http://aptdc.in APTDC launches a new servise with Jet Airlines partnership a tour from Hyderabad to Tirupati and back by air, Darshan Included in the package for Rs.9488, please contact Central Reservation Office Shakar Bhavan, Opp.Police Control Room, Basheerbagh, Hyderabad. Phone +919848540371

T Conducted tours from different places organized by APTDC Guide ravel

CONDUCTED TRIPS

to To Itiner ary

Duration Frequ ency Fare Includes T

From iru

p ati Rs1660* Tirupati,Tirumala,Tirchanur, Adult . Seegra Darshan

Tirupati/ Daily -

Ba ngal ore 2 Days Dep. 0730 Hrs. Arr.1700 Hrs Next Day Child Rs.1330 Arriving Tirumala 15 A/C Coach *Check website for tour options 92

*

Tirupati/ Tirupati,Tirumala,Tirchanur, 9 Accom’n & at

Daily T Tirumala 78 Seegra Darshan Chennai 2 Days Dep. 0515 Hrs. Arr. 2200 Hrs. same day Adult Rs.1270 i r

A/C Coach u *Check website for tour options Child Rs.1020 p a

t i

Tirupati/ Tirupati,Tirumala,Tirchanur,Sri Kalhasti. AD Accom’n & Tirumala Friday Dep. 1800 Hrs.Arr. 0600Hrs. Adult Rs.2150 Hyderabad 4 Days Seegra Darshan 4th Day Child11 6R s.1720

Tirupati/ Sunday, Tirupati,Tirumala,Tirchanur, Accom’n & Adult Rs.1950 Tirumala Monday,Tuesd Dep. 1800 Hrs.Arr. 0600Hrs. Seegra Darshan Hyderabad 3 Days ay,Wednes- 4th Day Child Rs.1560 day,Thursaday,

Tirupati/ Tirupati,Tirumala,Tirchanur,Sri Kalhasti. Accom’n & Adult Rs.1890 Coimbatore Tirumala 3 Days Daily Dep. 2000 Hrs.Arr. 0700Hrs. Seegra Darshan 3rd Day Child Rs.1560

*Check website for tour options 17

* Check website for latest schedule and price Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Arriving at Tirupati 18

Lot of private operators now offer conducted trip from all major South Indian cities. Their service is as good as the one offered by APTDC and they have built hotels in Tirupati to manage this trip better. Author did try Rajesh Tours from Bangalore, checkout http://rajeshtravels.in/ It was well organized trip, immaculate time keeping and good communication about meeting point, refer to detailed note on this in Darshan section.

Air

Direct air links are from Hyderabad and Chennai only. The Airport of Tirupati is located at Renigunta which is 28 Kms. from Tirupati. Buses, Auto and Taxis are available to go from here to Tirupati. TTD also runs Airline Coach for the convenience of air passengers from Airport to Tirumala.

Note: The flight timings and fares are changed frequently please check the latest schedule from Airlane website.

From To Flig ht From To Remarks No. De p. Arr. No. De p. Arr.

Hyderabad Tirupati Tirupati Hyderabad IC942 1245 Hrs. 1340Hrs IC 941 1435 Hrs IA 1530 Hrs. Mon,Fri . Thu,Sun

Hyderabad Tirupati Tirupati 9W35 Hyderabad Jet 9W350 1255 Hrs. 1415Hrs 1445Hrs. 06 1605 Airways Daily . Daily

Chennai Tirupati Tirupati Chennai IC 943 1500 Hrs. 1525Hrs IC944 IA 1205Hrs. 1230 Hrs. Thu,Sun .

Air Link Time Table Road Tirupati is well connected with all the places in south India. The details from three most frequently traveled places are as follows.

From Hyderabad

Tirupati is 562 km from Hyderabad (via Kurnool, Cuddapah and Kodur). APSRTC runs daily buses between Hyderabad and Tirupati. The types of buses are: Express/ Luxury/ Hi-tech/ AC Sleeper Coach. The AC Sleeper Coach is comfortable as the bus is fitted with Air Suspension for Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Arriving at Tirupati 19 effective shock absorption. Magazines and bedding are provided free of cost. Snacks, soft drinks and mineral water are provided against payment. There is an attendant to serve passengers. The fare is INR 450.00 per head.

From Chennai

Tirupati is well connected with Chennai. The distance between Chennai and Tirupati is 162km. Via Renigunta and Puttur. Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) and Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) run daily buses between Chennai and Tirupati. The frequency is between half-an-hour to one-and-a-half hours. The journey time is 5 hours and the minimum fare is Rs. 75.00 per head.

From Bangalore

Tirupati is 258 km from Bangalore (via Kolar and Chittoor). The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and KSRTC run daily buses between Bangalore and Tirupati.

APSRTC Runs daily Express, Luxury, and Hi-Tech buses from Bangalore to Tirupati and Tirumala. Recently Karnataka Road Transport has introduced Luxury coaches on this route. The buses are run at frequent intervals around the clock. The journey time 6 hrs 30 min. Return journey tickets can also be bought at Bangalore Bus Station.

Rail

Tirupati is well connected by rail with all the major cities of the country, Renigunta lies on the Chennai - Vijayavada route and hence even if there is no direct train to Tirupati a train up to Renigunta is likely to be there and from here Tirupati is only 9 Kms. by road. APSRTC runs buses at close intervals. It is possible to take a bus directly from here to Tirumala.The detailed list of trains to Tirupati and Renigunta are given on the following page.

As you alight at it is better to exit through the over bridge, this will take you out of the station and land you right across the entrance of the TTD First Choultry (you enter the rear side of the Sri Venkateshwara Bus stand ), this bus stop is meant for the Pilgrims arriving by train to go up the Hill to Tirumala. In the same complex (First Choultry) the Sudarshan Tokens are issued (both Special and Free) . If you exit out of the main entrance of the railway station, as at all places of tourist interest you will be bothered by touts trying to take you to a hotel, or a Taxi fellow to take you up the hill.

As you enter the First choultry complex on your right hand side you will see the ‘Queue’of Sudarshan token, more of this in page 44, if you decide to go for the token then do look at the expected time of Darshan as your programme for next 24 hrs. will depend on this. The south central railway sells Rail cum road ticket (along with train tickets railways sell you T Table of Rail connection to Tirupati and Renigunta Guide ravel Train No. From To Train No. From To Train Name Dep. Time Arr. Time Dep. Time Arr. Time

to

T 6381 Mumbai Tirupati 6382 Tirupati Mumbai Kanyakumari iru p

1545 HrsDaily 1405 Hrs 0350 Hrs 04500450 Hrs Exp.Exp. ati

-

Arriving 21636381 Mumbai TirupatiRenigunta 21646382 TirupatiRenigunta MumbaiMumbai Dadar-ChennaiKanyakumari 20301545 HrsDaily 17001405 Hrs Hrs 09200350 Hrs 06000450 Hrs. Exp.Exp.

at

T i r 1041 Mumbai TirupatiRenigunta 1042 TirupatiRenigunta MumbaiMumbai Mumbai-Kanyakumari u 6381 6382 p a

14001545 HrsDaily 13451405 Hrs 14400350 Hrs 13450450 Hrs ChennaiExp. Exp. t i

1027 Mumbai Renigunta 1028 Renigunta Mumbai Mumbai- 2335 HrsDaily 0115 Hrs 0215 Hrs 0345 Chennai Mail

2374 Hyderabad Tirupati 2373 Tirupati Hyderabad Narayanadri 1805 Hrs.Dly 0605 Hrs 1605 0625 Exp.

2797 Hyderabad Tirupati 2798 Tirupati Hyderabad Venkatadri 2005 Hrs.Dly 0730 Hrs 1835 Hrs 0620 Hrs Exp 20

T Table of Rail connection to Tirupati and Renigunta Guide ravel Train No . From To Train N o . From To Train Name Dep. Time Arr. Tim e Dep. Time Arr. Time

to

T 0213 Bangalore Tirupati 0214 Tirupati Bangalore Tirupati iru p 2030 Hrs.Dly 0500 Hrs 2135 0725 Pass ati

-

Arriving 6053 Chennai Tirupati 6054 Tirupati Chennai Tirupati

1350 Hrs.Dly 1700 Hrs 1005 1320 Exp at

T i r u

2626 New Delhi Tirupati 2625 Tirupati New Delhi Kerala Exp. p a t

1130 Hrs. 2113 Hrs 0352 1320 i

Daily 2708 New Delhi Tirupati 2707 Tirupati New Delhi AP SMPRK 0730 Hrs. 2125 Hrs 0545 1755 Exp W,F,Sun

2644 H.Nizamuddin Renigunta 2645 Renigunta H.Nizamuddin Nizamuddin

0600 Hrs. 1725 Hrs Sunday 0805 Hrs 1700 Hrs Exp F’Day

2683 Kolkata Tirupati 2864 Tirupati Kolkata Y’pur-Howarh 2035 Hrs. 2345 Hrs 0235 Hrs 0610 Hrs Exp 21

Travel Guide to Tirupati - Arriving at Tirupati 22

The Bus ticket to go up the hill) if you are having one of these, go inside the first choultry, read instruction carefully before you stand in the Queue, in the queue you will have to exchange your rail ticket for a bus ticket. As you go further inside you will reach the bus stand and you can board any bus that is standing there, a bit of confusion prevails as no official knows when the next bus is likely to come, if it is not there yet. APSRTC has further simplified the procedure now by selling the Bus tickets in the Sudarshan Token Queue so that you don’t have wait again to buy ticket.

Buses to Tirumala also start from the road in front of the railway station (just in front of Railway Reservation building) for the benefit of the pilgrims who arrive by train, tickets for these buses can be bought in the bus only, APSRTC is going an extras mile to woo pilgrims away from of private jeeps which are parked right in front of railway station.

Travel Guide to Tirupati - Tirupati 23

Chapter III

Tirupati

Travel Guide to Tirupati - Tirupati, Tourist and TTD Office, Places to Stay 24

We are now in Tirupati in addition to having the second (Padmavathi Temple) and the Third (Sri Govinda Raja Temple) most important place of visit in our pilgrimage trip, it is a better place to stay as it has hotels in all range and does offer better eating places than Tirumala. In Tirumala you only have choice of TTD accommodation but here from Budget to Luxury hotels are available.

Tourist and TTD office

The APTDC (Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development) Central Reservation office is located near Sri Venkateshwara Bus Station (adjacent to Railway reservation office) and the phone is no.+91 (877) 2255385, in the railway station at the main entrance there is tourist information booth, they have outdated information and the people managing the counter do not offer much help. The TTD Information office is located in the Tirupati I choultry.

Places to stay TTD Accommodation:

Free and Unfurnished: These are available in the First, Second and Third choultry, these are very basic accommodation (refer to Tirupati map for location).

Furnished and Paid: These are available in Third choultry Rs.30/- for double bedroom and at S.V Guest house opposite to the railway station Rs.100/- , Sri Padmavati Guest House on the Chittor road provides Air Conditioned room, tariff Rs. 200 to Rs.300/-, contact Dy. Executive officer (Reception), Phone no.22029,27993 and TTD (Alipiri) Guest House Rs.75/- Phone no. 30080. Other Accommodation:

Tirupati offers places of staying for all budgets, which is unlike Tirumala where you are have to just manage with the TTD (some of them are good but are not available to general public) or Religious Institutions like Mutts. Splurge hotels have come up in last couple of years in Tirupati. It is hard to find room during peak season like Brahma Utsav, Summer vacation time (May and June) and the marriage season. In the off season you can bargain the room price. Most of the hotels follow 24 hrs. checkout time.

Retiring rooms are available in the railway station also, contact the attender in charge for accommodation. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirupati 29

Map to Tirup ati

21 *

20 * 4 * 2 1 * * ** 3 5 * 6 * 8 9 * * 7

* * 10 11

19 12

* 13 Here are the details of the Tirupati Map

* * 15 * 1 Tirupati Railway station

14 2 Hotel Bhimas 3 Hotel Bhimas Deluxe 4 Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple 16 * 5 Railway Advance Reservation Complex 17 6 Sri Venkateshwara Bus Station * 7 TTD First choultry 18 * 8 Tourist Bus Parking 9 Sri Govindaraja Swamy Choultry 10 Hote Mayura 11 Fortune Kences Hotel 12 Hotel Tirumala Residency 13 Saptagiri Link Bus station (Main APSRTC Bus Station) 14 APTDC Ofice 15 Tirchanoor Road 16 Quality Inn Bliss Hotel 17 Hotel Bhimas Paradise 18 Road to Renigunta 19 Road to Tirumala 20 Sri Kodanda Swamy Temple 21 Prakasham Road Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirupati 25

Basic amenity hotels:

These are mostly scattered around the railway station and the Central Bus stand Complex (Saptagiri Bus Stand). Pick among these is Hotel Bhima , there are few more Hotels in that area that have almost the same tariff, Hotel Bhimas (this is different from the Bhimas Deluxe) is just 200 ft. away from the railway station, on lane opposite to the railway station called the Car street, single and double rooms are available here and the rooms are just basic with clean bed and bathroom with flowing water from the taps and in winter hot water is available between 6 am to 10 am. The tariff for double occupancy room is Rs. 200, they have A/C rooms also, the hotel follows 24 hour checkout schedule. In addition to being close Railway station and to the SVMS bus stand (buses to Tirumala) this is close to the third major attraction of the pilgrimage trip Sri Govindaraja temple, which is just 250 yards from the hotel.

Mid Range Hotels:

Quite a few of these have sprung in recent times, the oldest name though is Bhimas who have hotels in all ranges at key locations in the city. The tariffs of these range from Rs. 500 for ordinary non A/C room (called standard room) to Rs.1000 for A/C Deluxe room, these are located around railway station or on the Renigunta road. Details of few of these are listed below, please note this is not the complete list.

Hotel Bhimas Deluxe(Tel No. +91 (877) 2225521):Located on the Car street i.e. lane opposite to the railway station. This is centrally located with car parking and has good Vegetarian restaurant. It is close to the Govinda Raja temple and bus station to Tirumala (SVBS). The room tariff varies from Rs.900 for standard room to Rs. 1400 for deluxe room. They have an interesting option called Transit room where by you can have the room for 12 hrs. and the tariff is Rs. 700.(www.bhimasdeluxe.com)

Hotel Bliss (Tel No. +91 (877) 2237773, 5563773): Located on the Renigunta road near circle. Standard room non A/C costs Rs.595 for double occupancy, standard A/C room Rs.975 for double occupancy. It has a vegetarian restaurant and also a multi cuisine restaurant. It is closer to the main bus station complex (Saptagiri Bus Stand).

The Mayura (Phone No. +91 (877) 2225925, 2225251): This is located opposite to Saptagiri Bus stand, it has well furnished room including A/C rooms. It has adequate parking and a good vegetarian restaurant.

Tirumala Residency: Located on the Renigunta Road near the flyover. A standard non A/C/ room costs Rs.500 and A/C room Rs.825. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirupati 26

The Top Range:

These are Luxury hotel with all facilities, only two are listed here but this is not the complete list. The tariff normally is from Rs. 1000 onwards and all the room are A/C.

Bhimas Residency (Tel No.+91 (877) 2237371, 2237372): Located on the Renigunta Road near the Railway over bridge. A Executive room costs Rs.900 and Double room Rs.1400, they have an interesting option called the Transit room for 12 hrs. for Rs.900. This hotel has vegetarian restaurant, a multi cuisine restaurant and a 24hrs. Coffee shop.

Fortune Kences Hotel (Phone no.+91 (877) 2255855): Located opposite to the central bus stand complex (Saptagiri). A standard double occupancy room costs Rs. 1500 and Fortune club room is Rs.1800. It has vegetarian restaurant and Multicuisine restaurant.

Places to Eat

There are quite few good eating places, a few are listed below. Please note this is not the complete list.

The Bheemas Deluxe: The hotel opposite to the Rly. Station offers a very good food mostly south indian and north Indian dishes, the price are a bit steep. The food is good and if you are there in summer this is one of the few places near the station that offers A/C comforts.

The Mayura near the Bus stand also has good vegetarian restaurant. They offer the usual breakfast menu like idly, Dosa etc. for lunch and dinner North Indian and South Indian thali's are available, this restaurant is Air conditioned.

Places to see

Two of the temples that are on the must see list as a part of the Pilgrimage are located near Tirupati, other than these two there are other important temples and historical places. The must visit temples are the Padmavthi Temple at Tirchanur and the Govindaraja Temple located near Tirupati railway station. Padmavathi Temple:

Located at Tirsanur 5 Kms. from Tirupati. The pilgrimage is incomplete without a visit to this temple, this is second most important temple of the pilgrimage, this is the temple of consort of Lord Venkateshwara. The RTC plies busses from the main bus stand and the frequency is a bus every 30 min. Taxi's can be hired from the Railway station or the Bus stand, if the Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirupati 27 the number of people are less Auto is the better option, they normally charge Rs 100/- for a round trip. Better to ask the driver where they park the vehicle when you go for darshan, as they have separate parking for Auto, Car and Bus, when you decide on rate do ensure that it is all inclusive including parking.

Once you enter the temple complex try to gauge the rush and then decide whether special darshan ticket is to be purchased. There is Sarva darshan (no cost), quick darshan (Rs.40) and the Archana ( Rs50) -this can give entry in to the main temple straight away, if you are on a round trip with the Taxi or Auto, you are expected to purchase the quick darshan ticket ( if you get delayed don't worry they will understand and wait, normally no additional payment is asked ).The ticket for the Quick darshan and Archana are sold outside the main temple in the Syndicate Bank counter It makes about 15 to 30 minfor darshan if you buy the quick darshan ticket. After visiting the temple of the main the Queue will take you to few other temples in the same complex. . Prasadam is given on southern side of the temple. The complex has a TTD publication book stall. There are usual shops outside the temple selling few assorted items of daily use like, pooja items, Stainless steel items, photographs of the Gods, toys and of course Caps.

Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple :

The other major must see temple in the pilgrimage is the Sri Govindaraja Temple, this temple is dedicated to the Brother of Lord Venkateshwara, located just 500 yards from the Tirupati railway station. As of now Darshan here is not a problem and normally crowd is much less here, if it is crowded then you can buy special darshan tickets sold at the entrance of the main temple, the cost is Rs. 5/-. Quick darshan is a now available 20/- takes you directly in front of main diety.

Outside the temple there is most visible book shop of TTD Publications which is manned by not very enthusiastic sales person, books in English and Telugu are available here.The other places of interest around Tirupati are the Sri Kalahasthi Temple located 38 Kms. from Tirupati. This is a Saivite temple and the presiding Deity here is Sri Kalahasteeswara and Varasiddi Vinayaka temple at Kannipakam is another important place of interest, located at 70 kms. from Tirupati. The other major attraction is of historical interest i.e. Chandragiri fort, located 14 Kms from Tirupati. AP Tourism has organized a sound and light show in the evening at 7-35 pm during Nov - Feb and 8-00pm during March-Oct.

Conducted Tours :

The best way to see all these places if you have time is to take conducted tour from Tirupati, the tours are organized by TTD and Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corp. The TTD tour is subsidized for benefit the Pilgrims, the details of the tour are follows. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirupati 28

TTD Tour TTD has two tours, the buses start from the CRO Tirupati (in the Govindaraja Choultry complex) behind the railway station. Local Temples Bus (Daily): The tour lasts three hours and starts at 06 00, 10 00 and 14 00 hrs. the fare is Rs.20 for adult and Rs.10 foe children and takes you to the following places, for further details of the tour please contact +91 (87) 2243091.

Sri Padmavathi Temple-Tirchanur, Sri Kondandarama Swamy Temple-Tirupati, Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple-Tirupati, Sri Kapileshwara Swamy Temple-Tirupati, Hare Rama Hare Krishna Mandir- Tirupati, Sri Kalyana Venkateshwara Swamy Temple-Srinivasa Mangapuram, Sri Agasteewara Swamy Temple-Thondavada and The Regional Science Center, Tirupati.

Package Tour Bus ( Daily): This the second tour organized by TTD and starts at 06 00 Hrs from CRO Tirumala and 07 00 Hrs, from CRO Tirupati. The tour lasts around 5 hrs. and the charge is Rs.50 for adult and Rs. 25 for children and takes you to the following places.

Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple Karvetinagaram, Sri Vedanarayana Swamy Temple-Nagalapuram, Sri Kalyana Venkateshwara Swamy Temple-Srinivasa mangapuram and Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple-Tirchanur. APTDC Tour: The tour starts from CRO Tirumala at 08 00 Hrs. and 09 45 hrs from APTDC CRO Tirupati (this APTDC CRO located next to railway reservation office in front of railway station) and terminates at Govindaraja Swamy temple at 17 30 Hrs. and costs Rs.245 for adult and Rs. 200 for children (fare from Tirupati), the fare includes Lunch also. The places covered are as follows.

Sri Kapileshwara Temple Kapilatheertham, Regional Science Centre- Tirupati, Sri Varasiddi Vinayaka Temple-Kannipakam, Sri Kalyana Venkateshwara Swamy Temple - Srininvasa Mangpuram, Sri Padmavathi Temple-Tirchanur, and Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple- Tirupati

With this we have covered all aspects of Tirupati and we see that it is much more than a transit point and is very much a part of the pilgrimage. With many hotels and restaurants Tirupati makes a better choice to stay than Tirumala, resources of Tirumala are already streached and in spite of best efforts by TTD, accommodation and water are in scarcity. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 30

Chapter IV

Tirumala Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 31

Tirumala The Area on the hill is called Tirumala. Tirumala is situated in Chitoor district of Andhra Pradesh at a height of 800 meters above sea level on the Nallamalai hill range. The temple is situated on the Seshachala Hill one of the seven principle peaks in the range, this group of hills are in the serpentine form. The range of hills offers a most picturesque view. The affairs of the temple are managed by the Tirupati-Tirumala Devastam also known as TTD, which has huge task of managing on any given day from 5000 to 100,000 people on the hill for the Darshan of the Lord. This task is very efficiently handled by the TTD, lot of amenities are provided to the pilgrims to have smooth pilgrimage. The main temple complex is spread over an area of 4 sq. Kms. This is abode of Lord Vekateshwara on the Hills. All light motor vehicles and short chassis busses are allowed on the ghat road, the road is closed between midnight to 0300 Hrs. The ghat road is well maintained by the TTD with amenities for pilgrims and the vehicles all through the way, like wash room and water for radiators. The ghat road offers a picturesque view of the hills and the Tirupati town. Reaching Tirumala There are two ways of getting on the hill by road or by Foot. Climbing the hill on foot, this is a part vow that is taken by the pilgrim and is quite popular and TTD has made arrangements for this.

View of main temple tower on right is main entrance and Golden dome of temple is also seen Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 32

By Road: Bus There are two well-laid, all-weather, asphalt ghat roads between Tirupati and Tirumala, one-way traffic plies on these roads. The old ghat road was laid in 1944 and is for vehicles returning from Tirumala. It is 19 km in length. The new ghat road, which was opened in 1974, is for vehicles proceeding towards Tirumala. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) runs a regular bus service between Tirupati and Tirumala, from 0300 hrs to 2400 hrs, with a frequency of just two minutes. Bus fares are: One way - Rs. 30 per head Return - Rs. 55 per head You can save time by buying your Tirumala-Tirupati return tickets at Tirupati itself. These tickets are valid for three days from the date of purchase and ticket-holders can board any APSRTC buses returning to Tirupati. During Brahmotsavam and on important occasions like New Year's Day, buses ply round the clock with a frequency of one bus every minute. For the convenience of pilgrims arriving in groups, APSRTC provides contract carriages. Each carriage or bus can be hired for Rs. 900. It seats 45 persons. The bus can either be booked then and there, or reserved in advance. At Tirupati there are four bus-stations located in different corners of the town. Sri Bus Station (SVBS): Pilgrims arriving by train can use SVBS, which is located just opposite to the Tirupati Railway Station. The bus stop can be approached from choultry 1 also (which is behind the SVBS), the foot bridge from railway station land .

Balaji Link Bus Station (BLBS): For the convenience of pilgrims arriving from Bangalore, BLBS is situated at Alipiri, at the foot of the hills. There is ample space for parking tourist buses and vans. Link Bus Station (SLBS): SLBS serves pilgrims who arrive from Chennai, Hyderabad and Vijayawada sectors. SLBS is located in the Central Bus Station Complex. Sri Padmavathi Bus Station (SPBS): SPBS is located at the rear of the Tirupati Railway Station and caters mainly to the needs of pilgrims arriving in tourist buses. In addition to this for the benefit of pilgrims arriving by train APSRTC puts buses right in front of the railway station (in front of Railway Reservation office) and tickets can be bought inside the bus. For a safe journey to Tirumala, it is recommended that you travel by APSRTC buses only. APSRTC uses well-maintained vehicles that are fitted Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 33

fitted with power steering equipment and driven by experienced drivers. Safety inspectors ensure that driving rules are followed. If you are using your own vehicle, do negotiate the hair-pin bends on the ghat roads carefully.

By Taxi: Other way to get on the Hill is by Taxi, over 400 Ambassador taxi's ply on the ghat road and the fare as mentioned on the card issued by the taxi drivers association says Rs.700, it is possible to bargain during less crowded times. It is possible to hire with other pilgrims so that one can have the back seat and other front. When negotiating for the taxi insist on all inclusive rate including the toll tax to be paid at the entrance. It takes about 45 to 60 min to get on the top. By Foot: For those of you who would like to climb the hills to Tirumala to fulfill a vow, there are two well-laid stone footpaths leading to Tirumala. The more ancient of the two sopanamargas which starts from Alipiri (4Kms. From Tirupati railway station) at the foot of the hills, is about 11 km in length, and is the commonly- used route. The other sopanamarga from Chandragiri, though only about 6 km in length, is a more difficult route. It is mainly used by the local people and traders. Alipiri is most popular route and has 3550 steps and in addition to climb has quite a bit of walking too, for a average person it takes from 3-4hrs, try to start climb before sunrise.

TTD provides several facilities to pilgrims who walk up the hills to Tirumala. APSRTC runs two free buses from the Tirupati Railway station (in front of Railway reservation office) to Alipiri, with a frequency of 30 minutes, from 0400 hrs. to 2300 hrs. The buses go through APSTC Central Bus station and Kapilathreertham. The other facility provided is the free transportation of luggage from Alipiri gate to Tirumala. Drinking water, toilets, first aid, sunshade and security are provided on the foot path.

Added incentive for taking foot route is special darshan ticket (Divya Darshan), other incentive is free accommodation at Tirumala, halfway through climb TTD has set up Bio metric counter to issue tickets.

Places to Stay

Once on the Hills the temperature dips and we are now closer to the main event of the pilgrimage the "Darshan of The Lord". Consumption of Tobacco, Meat, Gutka and Liquor are banned on the Hills. The main Bus Stand is on your left side after the toll gate, further down to your right is the Central Reception Office (CRO ), this is the last stop for the buses arriving from Tirupati. The other bus stops on Tirumala are, one located in front of the Main Bus stand, other located in front of the Ram Bagicha complex from here buses to Tirupati and other places of interest like Papinasham start. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 34

Places to stay: TTD has put in lot of infrastructure to accommodate people at Tirumala from very basic to real luxurious, where Prime Ministers have stayed, but if you look at the number of people visiting the temple every day, this is just a fraction of actual requirement, tonsuring centre, bathrooms , toilets and free dormitory accommodation are other facilities provided by TTD. The central reservation office manages all the accommodation. The other major accommodation provider is the Karnataka Kalyana Mandapam and Karnataka Guest House. Accommodation for both these are managed by common office located at the Karnataka Guest house. Other smaller places that provide accommodation are listed in other Accommodation section.

TTD Accommodation: The central Reservation office is located on the right side after you pass the Bus stand, the buses arriving from Tirupati stop in front of CRO. Types of accommodation provided are 1. Free accommodation 2. Paid accommodation

3. Free accommodation for pilgrims performing Arjita S e v a s costing over Rs. 2500

4. Doner Quotas: These are for the holders of proxy letter which are issued to the people who have contributed to the construction of the Room or Guest house. 5. VIP Allotments.

Free Accommodation: These allotments are made on the first come first serve basis, the allotment is made for one day only. The allotment is subject to availability. The allotment is made from CRO, within the CRO complex

View of CRO General (building inside CRO) Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 35

complex you have to go the second building called the CRO General. Take the stairs down (on the left side) for free accommodation and stand in ’Q’, the instruction written there are not very helpful and confusion prevails, a help desk would have been very useful here. You will be given accommodation slip on which the name of the choultry will be mentioned and you have to go to that choultry and produce this slip and the room will be allotted you there. The choultrys are very basic and are very poorly maintained. The people maintaining them blame the people using the accommodation for their state. These choultries are mostly located in and around the central reservation office.

TTD Paid accommodation: The booking for these can be done in following ways By request through letter. Through Internet Through TTD information centers located in few cities Through CRO at Tirumala (current Booking)

Take a DD for Rs.100 from any public sector Bank drawn in favor of Executive Officer, TTD, Tirupati, mail the DD with a requisition letter to Asst. Executive Officer (Reception) TTD Tirumala-517 504, Andhra Pradesh, the DD and the letter should be sent 30 days in advance. Along with DD type of accommodation and number of persons should be mentioned. You will get an acknowledgment in reply, confirming the booking. On reaching Tirumala the acknowledge should be shown at the Central Reservation office. The counter for this is located in the first building as you enter the CRO on the right hand side, there is a notice board displaying list of persons for whom the cottages are allotted for that day. After sending the DD if you don’t get any reply then you can contact on phone at +91 (877) 2277681 between 11am to 5pm on any working day. After paying the balance amount if any, you will be given receipt, produce this at cottage where you are allotted a room and take possession of the room.

Through Internet: Go to the site www.ttdsevsonline.com. The cottages on offer are Rs.250 and Rs.750 and the booking can be made here and the payment is through credit card and on reaching Tirumala you have to show your identification and collect the receipt.

Thr ough TTD Information centers(in cities l i k e Hyderabad,Bangalore,Chennai): Booking can be done 30 days in advance and based on availability the room is booked for you and you are given receipt for that.

CRO Tirumala(Current Booking): After entering the CRO building from the main road side go the next building marked CRO General and take the

T

ravel

1 Sri Venkateshwara Temp 18 Karnataka Stat e GH

Guide

T rave 2 Pushkarani 19 Ma yura Restaurant

13 l 14 Gu

3 Sri Varahaswamy Templ 20 Sri Venkateshwa ra Museam to ide

to T 17 16 15 4 Free Meals 21 Vaikuntam ‘Q’ Complex Tirup2-Free iru 3 2 18 10 Darshan p 12 ati 19 9 ati 1 11 - 5 Free Tonsuring Centre 22 Sir Narayanagiri GH Tirumala 21 20 4 -

7 T

6 5 Vi jay a Ban k ou e 3 a u ra Resta rant i 6 C nt r 2 M y u r

8 u m

25 7 E ntrance for Sevas 24 Sri Venkateshwara GH a l

26 a 28 25 8 En tr y S u d a r s h an SPe c a i l 22 29 23 Dars h 26 Woodlands restaurant 24 a n 9 Rambag echa Cottage 28 CRO 31 30 s 10 Ak hya Restaurent 29 Papavinashanam Bus Stop

11 Bus Stop Papinashnam 30 Main R TC Bus Stop

12

31 Sri Padmavathi GH

13 Sri Srinivas a C houltry 32 Hill View GH 32 y 34 1 4 Wa to Papanashinam 33 Hill View Co t tage 28 33 35 15 Utt ardi Mutt 34 Tirupati Up Road

Map of Tirumala 161 6 Ragha ven dra Swamy Mutt 35 Tirupati Down Road 1 7 Sri Krishna Mutt 36

Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 37 allotment you will be given a slip and you have to go to another counter and pay the money, this receipt is to be shown at the concerned cottage to collect the keys of your room.

For the allotment in the rest three categories I.e. the Donor quotas, Arjitha seva and VIP quotas are all handled by the counter on the left hand side of the first building. Karnataka Guest House Complex (Phone (080 26702271, Fax 080 26700801) These are centrally located opposite to Sri Venkateshwara museum, very near to the temple and few of the best eating places are located here. You can get transport round the clock from this location. The method of booking is to write to Office of the Commissioner, Religious and Charitable Endowments, Mahadeshwara Vartha Bhavan, Alur Rao Road, Chamarajapet, Bangalore-560018 a month in advance. With a few exceptions the maintenance of rooms needs much to be desired, they at best can be called basic. The other places of accommodation are as follow:

These are non commercial religious institutions, they also let out rooms and accommodation is subject to their own terms and pilgrims staying their have to follow certain rules. Name Tel.No Sri Tirumala Kashi Mutt +91 (877) 2277316 Udipi Mutt +91 (877) 2277305 SS Tridandi Ramunajajeer Mutt +91 (877) 2277301 Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam +91 (877) 2277370 Sri Vallabhacharya Mutt +91 (877) 2277317 Mantralaya Raghavendra Swamy Mutt +91 (877) 2277302 SS Anndavan Asram +91 (877) 2277826 Sri Vaikhanasa Asram +91 (877) 2277282 Sri Aohobila Mutt +91 (877)22 79440 Sri shringeri Shankara Mutt +91 (8772277269 Motilal Bansilal Dharmashala +91 (877) 2277475 Sri Hathiramji Mutt +91 (877)22 77240 Sri Uttaridi Mutt +91 (877) 2277305

A lot choultaries and few hotels are also there and these are located just around the main temple premises. These places are mostly unkept.

If you have landed on Tirumala without pre booked accommodation and plan to stay here, it is better to first check at the Central Reservation office, touts will be hanging around the place and it is best to ignore them. The next Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 38

best chance would be to try some of the Mutts, if they have accommodation they let it out without much frills.

The places to Eat

The choice of organized large eating places are very limited here, the hygiene and quality have wide scope for improvement. Only a few are listed below and this is not the complete list.

The Mayura: On the Hill they have three restaurants and you get quality food there even though the prices appear a bit steep. They are located near the SV Guest house(23), Near Karnataka Guest house(19) and at Rambagecha(10). If you are staying anywhere in Tirumala a Mayura will be near you. At the Restaurant near SV Guest House the timings are Breakfast 0700 to 1030 Hrs. and Lunch 11 00 to 1530 Hrs. They offer Buffet breakfast for Rs. 45 and Lunch costs Rs. 70 onwards.

The Woodlands: They have two restaurants at Tirumala, the older one is near the TBC(26) and another near the HVC(32). The India Coffee House is located in the shopping complex near the Kalayanakatta.

Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Darshan 39

Chapter V

Darshan Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Darshan 40 The Darshan

The objective of every person visiting Tirumala is to have Darshan of the Lord and few may wish to go beyond that by performing a seva to the Lord. What you do at Tirumala depends on how much of time you have to spare for the trip, here are some possibilities Darshan of Balaji at Tirumala, Padmavathi at Thirchanor and Govindaraja at Tirupati- 1 Day or 24 hrs (stay at Tirupati/Tirumala) Perform Seva to Lord Balaji at Tirumala, Darshan of Padmavathi at Thirchanor and Govindaraja at Tirupati- 2 Days or 48 hrs (stay at Tirupati/Tirumala, it is possible to complete all in 24hrs for some afternoon and evening sevas) A trip only to have Darshan of the Lord:

a. Conducted Trip : The simplest way of doing this is to plan the trip from a location from where you can get conducted trip to Tirumala which includes transportation from the place concerned, a transit halt accommodation for few hours (where you are given room) and Darshan of the lord. These trips are available from Hyderabad, Chennai and B a n g a l o r e a n d Pondicherry. Lot of private tour operators offer this service from all major cities in South India, once you board bus everything is taken care by the tour operators, you need not know anything, arrange anything or plan anything, this is most cost and time saving and offers you a choice of transport like ultra luxury buses. For more details refer to the chapter 2 Page No. 17. I took a similar trip from Bangalore, we were picked by a shuttle service from our suburb at around 9pm and we boarded the bus that takes us to Tirupati at 10.30am, at 2.30 am we were at hotel in Tirupati, we were given a room for 30 minutes to refresh and take bath, at 3.30am were served breakfast and coffee at 4.30am we boarded a hired bus to Tirumala (Luxury buses are not allowed to go up the hill). At 5.30am we were paid Rs.300 and taken to the place where the ‘Q’ for Seegrah Darshan starts, we were shown the meeting point after Darshan. We sat in the ‘Q’ till 8.30am and it started to move and tickets were given and we moved into to Vaikuntam ‘Q’ complex and we were made to sit in a enclosure till 10am. When our time for Darshan was up, our gate was opened and then it was move and stop for next 60 minutes and we had Darshan at 11am and we were back at meeting place and started decent at 12noon. At Tirupati we were back in our bus and proceeded to Padmavathi temple at Thirchanoor, we were asked to pay Rs.40 and have quick Darshan. We returned to bus after Darshan at 1.30pm and were then taken back to same hotel that we had breakfast in the morning for lunch. We commenced return trip to Bangalore at 2.30pm and were back in Bangalore at 7.30pm. It was a well managed trip and all we had to do was follow instructions, food was edible. We were there on Wednesday.

Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Darshan 40 How long you wait in the Seeghra Darshan ‘Q’ depends on the day of the week and your position in the ‘Q’, please note the timing of Seeghra Darshan Saturday,Sunday, Monday 4.00am to 5.00am , 7.00am to 6.00pm and 9.00pm to upto Ekantha seva. Tuesday, Wednesday 08.30am to 01.00pm , Thursday 09.00am to 6.00 pm and 9.00pm to upto Ekanthaseva. Friday 10.00am to 6.00pm and 9.00pm to upto Ekanthaseva. As you can see Darshan starts at 4am on Saturday,Sunday and Monday, as per this conducted tour makes more sense on weekends, but crowds on weekends are twice more than mid week!

b. If you can opt for Sarvadarshan or Special Darshan for Darshan, you are better off staying at Tirupati, if you are going for Special Darshan as you know the time of Darshan you can reach Tirumala at the required time. You have more variety in selecting the place of staying in tirupati than at Tirumala. Since the (Air, Rail and Buses) Tirupati is well connected and more convenient to stay here. Detailed method of Darshan is given in later in this Chapter.

To perform a seva to the Lord: In addition to performing the seva to the Lord (either the Main Deity or the Utsav Murthy) you are also allowed to have darshan of the Lord. Point to be noted is that some of these Darshans give you more time in front of the Lord than the Sarva darshan or Special Darshan. In the Seva related Darshan there is likely to be less pushing in the

View of Main Temple Entrance Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Darshan 40

in the "Q" and you are allowed to spend a little more time in front of the Lord.

If you opt to perform a seva please note the timing carefully as for few sevas it would be more convenient to stay in Tirumala, for some sevas the reporting time is as early as early in the morning like 03 30 Hrs.*

Another important thing in the pilgrimage to Tirumala is the Laddu Prasad of the Lord, it is linked to the Darshan, refer to the a separate note on the subject in page no.46 The possible ways of having Darshan are as follows: 1. The Sarva Darshan 2. Special Darshan(Sudarshan Token paid Darshan) 3. Special Entry Darshan (Seeghra Darshan) 4. Divya Darshan

The Sarva Darshan: This means Darshan for all i.e. Free Darshan, no ticket or token required for this and you can enter the “Q” any time. This is the simplest and good old type of Darshan where technology was not much in use and crowds used to be less. To avail this Darsahn you have to report at New Vaikuntam “Q” complex 2 (refer to the map in page 35 item no 21 and the picture below), entrance is opposite to S.V.Museam, at the entrance a board will display the expected time of Darshan, normally Darshan happens earlier than the displayed time. You will have to wait in a hall and when your turn comes the gates will open and you will start your journey to the main door of the temple through a circuitous route and just before the main temple door this line will merge with the other Darshan “Q” and things will move slowly after this. This Darshan takes the longest possible time among all the others and all the time you have to spend in the waiting hall,! In paid Darshan you are given reporting for Darshan you can visit other places during this time, this way you can do other things when you are waiting for your turn. If the days Quota of Special Darshan are exhausted and you are unable to get any Seva ticket in the current day booking counter, this ‘Q’ is your last resort for Darshan, if you get in to this prepare yourself for very long waiting time, on a normal day(not a Sunday or any other National or public holiday )it can take 12 to 24 hrs for Darshan, anything less than this can ne considered lucky. TTD has made elaborate arrangements in the waiting hall

 Food is provided for the waiting pilgrims free of cost.  Milk, Coffe & Tea provided for waiting pilgrims free of cost.  Medical aid  Toilets  Closed Circuit Television, through which devotional programmes and music are relayed  Cloak rooms near the Vaikuntam Queue Complex entrance  Places where footwear can be deposited, free of cost (at the entrance)

*for seva above Rs.2,500 you are eligible for free accommodation in tirumala refer to page 38 for details. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 40

Panoramic view of “Q” Complex

Special Darshan :The Sudarshan Token system is simplified to one single type of PAID DARSHAN i.e.Special Darshan.

Ticket for this available ONLY IN TIRUPAT Entrance to Sarva Darshan witho ut and few cities all over the country(including Sudarshan Toke n Renigunta) where TTD has office, the charge for this is Rs.50 and one small Laddu (Prasad) is given for this ticket.(note: Sudarshan token are not available in TIRUMALA). All wishing to have Darshan through this system must present themselves at the counter(and necessary preceding “Q” for that) for Bio-Metric scanning counter. No bulk tickets are issued or exceptions are made, after finger print scanning a receipt is issued to on which time and location for reporting will be mentioned. The tickets are available at following locations. 1.Second Choultry (behind the Railway Station), 2.Bhudevi Complex, 3. Alipiri Tollgate, 4.Sreenivasam in Tirupati, 5.Srivari Sannidhi, Tirupati, 6. RTC Bus stand in Tirupati, 7.TTD Information centre ,Renigunta (opposite to the Renigunta Railway Station). Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 41

Note that only 5000 tickets are issued every day (in and around Tirupati) for this darshan and issuing starts at 5AM in the morning and the counters close after issuing the days quota. Make sure that you are there at right time to get your ticket, if you miss this your other chance of Darshan is only through Sarva Darshan.You must report at the Vaikuntam “Q” complex at the time mentioned in you receipt to have Darshan of the Lord.

View of ‘Q’ for Sudarshan Token Special Darshan Entry Point New Darshan system: In order to cope with ever increasing crowds on weekends and holidays TTD has now started implementing the “Maha Lagu Darshan”, when the crowds exceed 50,000 this system is implemented to ensure that maximum number of people have Darshan of Lord with least possible waiting time. You are allowed to see the Lord from Dwarapalaka door only which is roughly 50 feet away from the Lord, on normal days you can inside the Sanctum Sanctorum up to Ramuluvari Meda which is 25feet away from Lord and in Seva related Darshans you can go even closer to the Lord, this is one more reason to avoid going during weekends and holidays.

Special Entry Darshan (Seeghra Darshan): This is latest addition to Darshan type in Tirumala, if you in Tirumala and have not made any arrangement for Darshan of the Lord, if missed the day quota of Sudarshan Token in Tirupati, then Seeghra Darshan is your last chance to have Darshan of the Lord on that day, if you get into this ‘Q’ you are assured of a Darshan in next 2 to 10 hrs depending on the number of pilgrims on the Hill, as you plan a trip to Tirupati you must pay attention to Darshan timings on the day you plan to be there, Friday rituals performed on Lord are more, so public Darshan hours are lowest that day.

Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 42 The Seeghra Darshanm facility is introduced 0n 21-09-2009 to provide quick Darshan for the Pilgrims. The cost of the Ticket is Rs.300/- per pilgrim. The tickets will be issued at VQC-I in a separate queue line with 4 counters, after taking the tickets, the pilgrims are directly allowed for Darshan. Seeghra Darshan tickets will be issued on all the Sarva Darshan timings. The darshan timings are the same as that for Sarvadarsanam. Special Entry Darshan Timings 4.00am to 5.00am , 7.00am to Saturday,Sunday, 6.00pm and 9.00pm to upto Ekantha Monday seva. Tuesday, 08.30am to 01.00pm , Wednesday 09.00am to 6.00 pm and 9.00pm to Thursday upto Ekanthaseva. 10.00am to 6.00pm and 9.00pm to Friday upto Ekanthaseva.

I would like to share our experience here, we were there on Wednesday, since we were part of conducted trip from Bangalore, we were brought to start of the Q at 5.30am, at that time about 1000 people were ahead of us, since it was Wednesday there was no movement in the ‘Q’ till 8.30am, by the time our turn came to buy tickets it was around 9.30am, from that point it is better to Saturday, Sunday or Monday when the Darshan starts early, but being a weekend crowd at 5.30am in the morning could be 3-5 thousand! Divya Darshan: This Darshan is available only for people who climb the hill, this Darshan is free for people who climb the hill and in order to control misuse of this Darshan the token for this are issue half way through the climb, this is Bio-Metric token and then this token is stamped by a guard just before you reach Tirmala. Once on op follow the directions to the starting point of the Q ( it is in front Vijaya Bank counter), if you climb the hill in addition to privileged Darshan you are eligible for free accommodation and free food while you waiting for your Darshan. We took 3.5 hours to climb the hill and it took another 2 hrs to have the Darshan, on comparison Divya Darshan is comparable to Seeghra Darshan. The DARSHAN: Now we come to the soul of our trip. In view of the heavy rush the time to have darshan of the lord vary from 45 min. to say 36hr. That may sound shocking but it is true. During heavy rush TTD cancels some of the sevas so that more people can have Darshan. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 43 You must report at the required gate depending on the type of darshan chosen by you i.e. for Sarva Darshan you report at the New Vaikuntam ‘Q’ complex and for Special Darshan Tokens report at the Vaikuntam ‘Q’ complex. Up to half an hour before the mentioned time you will be allowed to enter the ‘Q’, finger print is matched and you will be admitted in to a waiting hall where you can be seated and after the hall fills up it will be locked up. You can look to your adjacent hall to get an idea of how many more people are waiting for Darshan. TTD has tried its best to ensure that all amenities are provided during this waiting period, Toilets, Tea, Coffee, Newspaper, magazines, Drinking water, food etc. are all available here. When the gate is opened people will rush to the exit door, from here on it will only be the moving Q and only at few places some arrangements are available to sit. The Q will move slowly on a normally crowded day and from here to have Darshan it may take you from half to 2 hrs. The first major land mark in the Q is the Mahadwaram, the main entrance gate of the temple, by water spray your feet will be cleaned here. From here you could take 15 min. to 1 Hr for the Darshan. The Q winds through the temple and you pass the place where Kalyana Ustav for the Lord is performed. you then approach Silver lined Gate, you will notice that the Q here has a stop and move mode as batch by batch people are allowed in to the temple inner complex where sanctum sanctorum is located.

Once you are through this there is normally no stopping of the Q till you have the Darshan of the Lord. You will enter the main temple through the left (south) side door of the temple, this is called the BangaruVakili, the Golden Gate. On your right you can see statue of Garuda, the Q at this point experiences a lot of push and pull. It is best to tell people around you to be calm as everyone will have Darshan of the Lord. You will then step on to ramp and the sign Board tells you now to look in to the mirror for the View of the Lord. As you get on top of the ramp you can have the first Majestic view of the Lord. As you enter the next door you will get off the ramp and the Lord is there right in front of you and you cannot take your Eye of the Lord and all perspiration of the last hour or two will vanish in a minute and as you are pushed and shouted at by the attendants asking you to move on, YOU ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE LAST RESORT ON THIS EARTH!!! You then turn and still keep looking at the Lord. You are then out of the temple and as you go out you can have Darshn of the other Entrance to Main Temple in the complex. You can also have Darshan of the Vimana Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 44

Venkateshwara on the Northern side of Ananada Nilayam the Golden dome over the Sanctum Sanctorum, which is marked by an arrow. Next you will see a small ‘Q’ to go to the Hundi, offerings to Lord should be dropped here.

As you exit from the main door you are back in the Q again, this is for the Prasadam of the Lord. You then exit from the main door and then you can move on to another ’Q’ to collect Laddu if you have purchased the ticket. NRI Darshan TTD has recently introduced the NRI Darshan, most of NRI visiting India plan to have Darshan of the Lord, to encourage them TTD has introduced this scheme. NRI'S visiting Tirumala have to contact AEO(office of is located near Woodlands refer to 26 in Tirumala map) or officer designated by EO at the Vaikuntam 'Q' Complex for entry through cellar(refer to no.25 in the map on Page 41). You have to show your Passport, Visa and other relevant documents to gain entry in to the 'Q” at this point, from here it could take between 30 min to 2 hrs. to have Darshan of the Lord.

Sevas to the Lord Booking for the Seva can be done either of the following ways 1. Through Letter 2. Through Internet 3. Current booking

Through Letter: Those who wish to participate in the Sevas can do so by writing to The Peshkar, Srivari Temple,Tirumala-517504, with a request letter and the DD for the required amount Drawn on 'Executive Officer, TTD, the DD with the letter should be sent the above address at least 90 days in advance and you will receive a receipt for the same which is to be produced to get entrance for the seva. You can make enquires regarding the seva by calling 0877 2279277.

Throught Internet: Log on to site www.ttdsevaonline.com and follow the instructions. Current Booking: If you have not booked the seva in advance and would like to do on arrival at Tirumala, you can still do so by going to the Vijaya bank counter located near the Vikuntam Q complex. This is current booking counter and limited number of tickets are sold on first cum first serve basis. A TV screen will give the availability position for the sevas for the day. Tickets for Archana Anantara Darshan, Nijapada Darshana and Angapradishana are given in the adjacent building above the Andhra Bank ATM and for the rest of the sevas tickets on the first floor, the entrance to the first floor is on the left side of the building, to prevent resale of seva tickets TTD has introduced finger print scanning. After matching the finger print you will be allowed for Darshan. For all the current booking tickets people who wish to have Darshan MUST come to the counter to give the finger Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 45

print. There is no provision to cancel or amend the tickets bought here. In addition to performing the Seva to the Lord you will be allowed to have Darshan of the Lord and in few sevas you will get to have Darshan of the Lord for a longer time and from nearer distance and in most cases with less push and pull. The list of seva with few details is given (in page no.49- 54) for the benefit of the pilgrim. For the advanced booked tickets enquiries can be made on the second floor of the same building.

Devotees performing the seva have to observe the dress code as prescribed by the TTD i.e. for men dhoti and Angavastram.are prescribed and must be followed Mobile phones are not allowed inside the temple and also people wearing shorts are not allowed for the Sevas. There are basically two types of Sevas 1. Sevas performed on the Main Deity:

Suprabhatam, Archana and Thomala Seva are the S e v a s that are performed on the main Deity. 2 Sevas performed on the Utsava Murthy are as the follows. Kalyanotsavam Pratyeka Kalyanotsavam Arjita Brahmostavam Vasanthotsavam Sahasra Deepalankarana Seva Dolotsavam(Unjal Seva) Ekanta Seva Sahasra Kalasabhishekam Vijaya Bank infront of Vaikumtam “Q” Complex The Sevas can also be classified as per the frequency of performance like Daily, Weekly and Periodic Seva. The details of these and the time of performance and other important details are given in the following page.

The entry for sevas is through Vaikuntam'Q' complex (refer to no. 7 in map on page no.36).They should enter the Vaikuntam ‘Q’ complex well in advance and there is no Direct entry from the Maha Dwaram. It is advised to be at the Vaikuntam Queue complex half an hour before the time mentioned in the seva tickets.

Tickets for Ekanta Seva are only available in current booking counter and subject to the prevailing rush at the time, the Seva time between 22 30 hrs and 00 00 Hours. If the no pilgrims are on the hill are more, this seva is cancelled hence there is no advance booking for this seva, to try your luck for the seva present yourself at the current booking counter( Vijaya bank) at around 10pm, you will see people sitting on stair case and wait till 11pm, if the door opens then you will get the ticket. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 46

On receiving the information from the temple authorities the bank sells limited number of tickets. The seva is performed any time between 22 30 hrs and 00 00 Hours. All the sevas end with the Darshan of the Lord. In some cases the

Entrance for Sevas Sarva Darshanam is stopped briefly so that people who performed the seva can have Darshan of the Lord and in that case you may find that Darshan is more peaceful and free from the usual pushing that we notice in the Sarva darshana and the paid special Darshana.

Offering Of Hair

“Kalyanakatta” place for offering Hair Entry point for the “Q” of Kalay an aka tta

As a part of their vow to the Lord pilgrims offer hair to the Lord. The most common sights in Tirumala are Queues, tonsured heads and Caps. TTD has made arrangements for Tonsuring in Tirumala by constructing a four story building called KalyanaKatta near the shopping complex (refer to no.5 in the map on Page 36). This works round the clock and hundreds of barbers are hired by TTD for this free service. Adjacent to this TTD has built a pilgrims amenities complex where Toilets and bathrooms are provided free of cost. Free Tonsuring fertilities are available at both the pilgrims amenities complex and at free choultries, Rs. 10/- is charged for Tonsuring at other choultires and Guest houses Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 47

Laddu

This is one of the Prasadam offered to Lord and is very popular among pilgrims as they can share with their relatives and friends back home. Laddu has shelf life of around one week and people prefer to carry this home and distribute to their near and dear ones. The Laddu is very much in demand in Tirumala, on Sudarshan Token you are given two Laddus. Pilgrims in the free darshan’Q’ have an option to buy one Laddu per head. For the pilgrims performing the Sevas coupons for prasadam are given as per the table given in pg. 49 onwards, table under the column Bahumanam, in some sevas in addition to the Laddu you will be given other prasadam also like , Pulihara etc. The Laddu you get in Special Darshan is the small Laddu and in few sevas like the Kalyana utsav you will be given big Laddus.

After your Darshan Laddus can be collected in the lane adjacent to the temple towards the Pushkarani, there are quite a few counters here separate counter for the special Darshan ticket holders and diffrent counter for holders of seva ticket, please enquire before you join in the ‘Q’. TTD can consider simplifying the Laddu distribution, the current system very cumbersome, one of the options can be as you exit the temple you can collect the Laddu on the way out,as the money is already paid only distribution needs to done. You can now buy extra Laddu coupons in the ‘Q’ of Arjita Seva.

Other places of interest in Tirumala Swami Pushkarani&Varahaswamy Temple: This is the tank adjacent to the main Temple, is highly sacred. Pilgrims take bath here before having Darshan of the Lord. A bath in the Holy tank purifies one's body and Soul. On the bank of Pushkarani as seen in the story we must visit the Varahaswamy temple and then proceed for Darshan of Lord Venkateshwara

Papavinasam: Located about 5 Km from the temple. It is said that holy water here will wash away all the sins.

AkashGanga: These are water falls located just 3 km North of the temple. This water is used for Abhishekam of Lord.

Geological Arch (Silathoramnam): This rare geological formation is situated 1km. North of the temple. Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 48

View of Pushkarani and Varaha Swami Temple

Sri Venkateshwara Nitya Annadanam Scheme

TTD has envisaged this scheme aimed at providing Free full meals to the devotees at Tirumala. Coupons for the meals are issued just after the Darshan,

It is said that service of Bhakta of Lord is most NOBLE service to the Lord, a donor can make an endowment of Rs 1000 and multiples thereof for this scheme. The donations can be made by way of Cheques/Demand Drafts on Nationalised Banks drawn in favour of S.V.Nitya Annadanam Trust,Tirupati and sent to the secretary and Deputy Executive Officer Annadanam Trust,T.T.D Administration Building Scheme, Tirupati- 517501

All the donations received from time to time from all donors will be put together and invested in Nationalised Banks under Fixed Deposit and the interest received thereof will be used for performing Annadanam.

Donations above Rs. 5 Lakhs are entitled for following privileges

1. Display Name of the Donor prominently in front of Annadanam Complex, Tirumala.

2. Presentation of one Gold Plated Silver Medallion with images of Lord Venkateshwara and Godess Padmavathi on each side at the Travel Guide to Tiru pati - Tirumala 49

Time of his first visit. Presentation of one Dupatta to the Donor once a year. Free ten small Laddus to the Donor every year

3. Free V.I.P Accommodation at Tirumala to the Donor and his family members ( not exceeding 5) in guest house connected to A.R.P counter for three days in a year. Accommodation in other V.I.P Guest house can be arranged on payment- subject to availability. The above facility can be arranged on prior intimation of twenty days.

4. VIP Darshan to the Donor and his family members (not exceeding five ) for three days in a year through cellar in Va i k u n t a m 'Q' complex.

At present a minimum number of 25,000 pilgrims are being served with free meals EVERY DAY. The number is almost double on weekends and Holidays. Your liberal contributions are most welcome, to make the payment easier most of the public sector Banks make Demand Draft without charging any commission, if you decide to make the donation to the scheme when you are in Tirumala you can approach any Public sector Bank on the hill cash payment can be made there and DD can also be handed over to the Bank, you will be given a receipt for collecting the DD and Trust will mail you the Income Tax exemption certificate alter to the addressed mentioned. If you want serve the Lord this is the most welcome scheme.

TTD 24x7 Call Center: TTD operates a 247 call center to make available all important information to the general public, by calling this nos you can know thecurrent status of crowd at Tirumala, for the booking you have made for seva or for the room the status I in case you dont hear from them after the money is sent. Just one call will help you plan for the trip with real input on the situation of pilgrims lot of uncertainties can be removed Tel Nos:+91 877 2263277 or 2233333 For enquiries regarding the Arjita Sevas contact- +91 877 2263589 List of Sev as

T

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Name of Rate in Rs. No. of Reporting Frequency Prasadam/ Description Advance Guide Seva / Ticket Persons Time Bahumanam of Seva Booking

Allowed to

T iru

p Upto 120 ati

Suprabhatam 120 0200 Hrs. Daily days -

2 Small Laddus in Advance List

of

Se

v

a s

Thomala 220 1 0330 hrs. Daily Laddus Seva

Upto 120 Archana 220 1 0430 hrs. Daily 2 Small days Laddus in Advance

49

List of Sev as T

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Prasadam/ Description Guide Name of Rate in No. of Reporting Frequency Advance Bahumanam of Seva Seva Rs/Ticket Persons Time Booking

Allowed to

T

iru

p Nijapada Upto 120 ati

1 Small - 200 1 0530 Hrs. Only on Darshana days List Fridays Laddus in Advance

of

Se Upper cloth, v Conducted a Blouse Piece, in Kalyana s

Upto 120 Kalyana-u 1000 2 1000 hrs. Daily Mandapamand rituals One each small days tsavam are similar to Hindu and big Laddu, in Advance marrige Vada 5 Nos.

Arjita Upper cloth, Tickets can Sri MalayaswamywithHis Blouse Piece, be booked Brahmo- 1000 5 1300 hrs. Daily twoConsortsare worshipped Laddu small 30 days tsavam in Kalyanamandapam. 5 Nos. in Advance

Sri MalayaswamywithHis two Upper cloth, Consorts areseatedin swing in Tickets can Dolotsavam Blouse Piece, be booked 1000 5 1300 Hrs. Daily Aina Mahal(hallof Mirrors) and (Unjal Seva) Laddu small swung to the accompaniment of 30 days 5 Nos. in Advance Vedaparayanamand 50

Mangala vadyam. List of Sev as T

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Prasadam/ Description Guide Name of Rate in No. of Reporting Frequency Advance Bahumanam of Seva Seva Rs/Ticket Persons Time Booking

Allowed to

T iru Upper cloth Blou -

Vasanthosavamis a festival Tickets can p

se Piece,Vada6 ati Vasanth- of colours.Itis a periodical be booked Nos Dosa 20 Nos -

3000 10 1400 Hrs. Daily outsavam and Anna-prasa - festival celeberatedin 30 days List month of Vasantham in Advance dam 1/32 sola of

each Se Conducted in Unjal Mandapam. Upto 120 Upper v

cloth, a Sahasra The Mandapam glowswith days s Deepalan- 1000 5 1730 hrs. Daily Blouse Piece, SAHASRADEEPA(a thousand in Advance kara seva Laddu small, earthern lamps).The Lord is 5 Nos. seated on Unjal and rocked gently to the accompaniment

of clarinet orchestra Upper cloth, Upto 120 Only on Visesha 3000 5 0600 hrs. Blouse Piece, days Pooja Mondays Laddu and vada in Advance 5 Nos. each

Upper cloth, Upto 120 Astadala pada Blouse Piece, days Padma 2500 2 0600 Hrs. Tuesday Laddu Big, in Advance Aradhanamu Vada5 Nos. each 51

List of Sev as T

ravel

Guide Name of Rate in No. of Reporting Prasadam/ Description Frequency Advance Seva Rs/Ticket Time Bahumanam of Seva Persons Booking

Allowed to

T

Upper cloth Blou- iru Before Sarvadarshanam

se Laddu Big p

ati Sahasra Vada 7 Nos each, Sahasra Kakasabhishekam Upto 120

-

Kalas 5000 6 0600 Hrs. Dosa and Appam is performedfor Bhoga days

Wednesday List Abhishekam 5 Nos. Each and Srinivasa with water from in Advance

Anna-prasadam of 1008 small silver vessels

1/32 sola each Se Upto 120 v

days a

Upper cloth Blou- s Tirupavada 5000 6 0600 hrs. Thursday se Laddu Big in Advance Vada 7 Nos each,Jilebis5 Nos.Appam and Anna-prasadam1/32 sola each

Anna-prasadam Upto 120 Abhishekam 750 1 0330 hrs. Friday 1/32 sola each days SmallLadduand in Advance

Vada 2 Nos. each

Tickets can Small Laddu be booked Civet Vessel 300 1 3300 Hrs. Friday Big,Vada 5 No. 5 years in each Advance 52

List of Sev as T ravel

Prasadam/ Guide Name of Rate in No. of Reporting Frequency Description Advance Bahumanam of Seva Seva Rs/Ticket Persons Time Booking

Allowed to

T iru Before Sarvadarshanam Tickets can p Kasturi Small Laddu , Sahasra Kakasabhishekam be booked ati

150 1 - 0330 Hrs. Friday Vada 5 No. is performedfor Bhoga 5 years in Vessel List each Srinivasa with water from Advance

1008 small silver vessels of

Se

Tickets can v Vastra a 2 Upper cloth Blou- s

be booked Alankara 12,250 0330 Hrs. (Couple) Friday se Laddu Big 5 years in Seva Vada 2 Nos each, Advance

Upper cloth,

During Blouse Piece, Upto 180 Float 2500 5 1800 hrs. February days Festival Big Laddu and March vada 1 Nos. each in Advance

Upper cloth,

During Blouse Piece, Upto 180 Vasanth- 10 April for Dosa 20 N0s. days otsavam 3000 1400 Hrs. Three days Vada 6 Nos. & in Advance

Annaprasadam 53

List of Sev as T

ravel

Prasadam/ Description Guide Name of Rate in No. of Reporting Frequency Advance Bahumanam of Seva Seva Rs/Ticket Persons Time Booking

Allowed to

T iru Upper cloth, PerformedforThree p Padmavathi During May Blouse Piece, days in May (Vaishakha) Upto 180 ati

for Three - 5000 5 1500 Hrs. Laddu and vada days Parinayam during sukla navami, List Days 5 Nos. each Dasami and Ekadasi in Advance

of

Se

v During Upper cloth a Upto 180 s

Abhidhyeka 2000 5 0800 hrs. June for Blouse piece days Abhishekam Laddu & Vada Three Day s in Advance 1 No each,

Upper cloth, The Lord is worshipped

with varietytyoof frfargagrarnanttflfolowweer r Upto 180 Pushpa During Blouse Piece, f 1000 5 1730 hrs. conductedon the sravna days Pallaki July Laddu and vada 1 No. each Nakshatramafter in Advance Brahmostavam Upper clothBlous e Performedfour times Piece,Laddu Big, Koli Alwar year on Tuesdays Upto 180 Four times Vada 15 Nos.each, Thirumanja- 3000 10 1100 Hrs. before ,Anivara days a year Appam and Dosa nam Asthanam,Brahmostavam in Advance

10 nos. Each 54 and Vaikunta Ekadasi

Annaprasadam1/ 32 solas each

List of Sev as T

ravel

Prasadam/ Guide Name of Rate in No. of Reporting Frequency Description Advance Bahumanam of Seva Seva Rs/Ticket Persons Time Booking

Allowed to

T The Lord is worshipped iru Upper cloth,

p Pushpa During Blouse Piece, with variety of fragrant flower Upto 180 ati

Month of conductedon the sravna 3500 5 0600 Hrs. days - yagam Big Laddu and November vada 5 Nos. each Nakshatramafter in Advance List

Brahmostavam of

Note: please refer to www.tirumala.org for latest information Sevas, no of people allowed and Prasad offered Se v a s

55

Travel Guide to Tirupati

A detailed guide to plan your pilgrimage trip to Tirumala. The book contains all relevant information on how to plan your trip, how to book accommodation and details of Seva etc. And if you land in Tirumala without previously booked accommodation or Seva how to still have darshan of the Lord in the shortest possible time.

On the whole it is complete book on the subject that will help you to plan and execute a memorable trip to Tirumala.