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Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, or the abode of the Lord Tirupati, is probably
Hindu India’s most visited holy place. Situated in Chittoor district (in southern
Andhra Pradesh), the temple stands amidst lush greenery atop a hill surrounded by
outcroppings of red rock. The sacred hill, with its summit of seven peaks, has a number of
temples, of which the main shrine ranks as one of India's most revered. At the bottom
of the hill is the town of Tirupati, known almost exclusively for its role as the base
camp for pilgrimages to the temple. Pilgrims from all across India- and even abroad- come
to Tirupati in thousands every year to the temple, which is dedicated to Sri Venkateswara
- one of the incarnations of Vishnu. |
Tirumala is one
of the few temples to allow non-Hindus into the sanctum sanctorum. Remember, you have to
leave your footwear behind at the stall outside the temple compound. And, do not succumb
to the high-pressure tactics of ticket toting touts; get yours from the temple’s
official counter.
The temple houses a heavily garlanded idol of Sri
Venkateswara before whom one is allowed only a few moments before the next
enclosure load of visitors is to be ushered in. In that time you’ll see the
stupendously opulent vimana covered in gold and finely sculpted columns. The
‘darshan’ is followed by a round of ‘prasad’, food that has been
blessed by the deity and must be received with both hands cupped, right palm above the
left one.
Tirupati
receives a record number of pilgrims everyday, more than any other holy city in the world.
These record crowds topple bigger records during the festivals and on weekends. According
to whether chaos is your cup of tea or not, you can choose high-season weekends or
off-season weekdays.
When to
go
Virtually any time
of the year is a good time to visit Tirupati, as the weather’s generally quite
equable. The time around New Year- usually between December 31 and January 2- is when
Tirupati gets very crowded, with thousands of pilgrims thronging the temple. Festival time
is a good time to be in Tirupati, as you’ll get a chance to see all the ceremonies,
the festivities and the fanfare. Dasara, in particular, is really spectacular at Tirupati.
Vaikunta Ekadasi is considered an
extremely auspicious day to visit Tirupati, as it is believed that this is the day when
the `Vaikunta Dwaram’- the door to heaven- is open, and any pilgrim who comes to
Tirupati on this day will achieve salvation. The Vaikunta Ekadasi changes from year to
year, but usually occurs in early January.
Getting
There
There is a small airport at Tirupati which receives flights from Hyderabad, Tuesdays and
Saturdays. There are train connections from many places in the region and even twice
weekly connections to Mumbai. There are a lot of bus connections from within Andhra
Pradesh and from Tamil Nadu, including Bangalore, which is 265 km from Tirupati. Express
buses are much faster than the ordinary buses. Cabs are a comfortable road travel option
though somewhat expensive.
The few
kilometres between Tirupati and Tirumala are easily traversed by bus, auto rickshaw or
taxi, all readily available at Tirupati. Many devotees, however, prefer to cover the
journey on foot. The path leading from Tirupati up to the temple begins at the Alipiri
toll gate, about 4 km from the local railway station. A 16 km long route, the path takes 3
or 4 hours to traverse. All along the way are small `mandapams', where the weary can rest.
The steps leading up to the temple are steep in places, but that hardly deters the pious-
and nor does the long queue snaking its way into the shrine. People invariably stand for
hours in line to be favoured with a `darshan' of the Lord Venkateswara, and a regular
‘darshan’ takes longer to come by than a ‘special’ one. But everybody has to line up and wait as the queue
winds its way up through a series of enclosures.
Accommodation
In Tirumala most people stay for free in the huge dormitories around the temple. There are
rooms in guesthouses and cottages available on rent too at various rates offering various
degrees of comfort and luxury. All bookings have to be made with the Central Reception
Office of the TTD. Off-season you can reserve up to a month in advance by sending them a
letter and a draft for Rs. 100.
Tirupati has a whole range of hotels, air-conditioned or otherwise, pricey and
inexpensive. |
