22-Mar-2017 – DAY 2

It is believed that one has to visit Sri Padmavati temple at Tiruchanur and visit all the little temples that dot the Tirumala hills before taking darshan of Lord Venkateshwara to get the fruition of the pilgrimage. A bus ticket of Rs. 10 took us to Sri Padmavati temple. The temple is around 8 Kms from the Tirupati bus depot. A morning visit to South Indian temples always gives an opportunity to observe the pious, listen to sound of Nadaswaram, see flowers of different hues on sale and ofcourse the clamour of the hawkers selling knick-knacks. Temples in Tirupati attract devotees from other parts of India in their traditional attire adding to the exuberance.

Indian temples have added security to sanctity…we were asked to deposit our electronic gadgets, expertly frisked and quickly directed to the queue… Unlike Srikalahasti, we had to wait in the queue for over 30 minutes before we could get darshan. The whole process was quite seamless. After paying obeisance to Sri Padmavati we stepped out and my eyes quickly darted for the prasadam… it was “thayyir sadam” (curd rice)!

After an authentic South Indian breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and headed to Tirumala. The ticket to Tirumala cost us Rs. 53/- per head. At the base of the hill, the conductor asked us to note the bus number and alight with our baggage for a security check. The entire operation of personal frisking, baggage x-ray and re-boarding the bus took exactly 5 minutes despite the fact that there were atleast 50 buses and private vehicles at the check point … impressive. The roads need a mention here … Be it the road from Tirupati to the base of the Tirumala hill or the roads up the hill… they are of the highest standards.

It took less than an hour to reach the temple town. The drive is scenic.

My train back to Pune was in the early hours of Thursday. I had around 8 hours to explore Tirumala including the time needed for darshan. Instead of checking in a hotel, we decided to dump our luggage in a locker. TTD has made phenomenal arrangement for the devout. Everything offered by TTD is free and is of top notch quality. TTD has built many places to rest. These are walk-ins… you need to register if you want to avail the lockers. I put my luggage at “Madhava Nilayam” and proceeded to explore Tirumala.

The place is abuzz with activities. The roads are broad and the local hawkers have designated spots for vending their goods. Most of them were trying to entice the North Indian devotees with “Chole Puris” and “Biryanis”. The hot selling item was the cap for the tonsured head!

We saw this beautiful traffic island … worth taking a snap…

I had booked my darshan ticket online. We had a schedule time of 2 PM and had to assemble at the ATC car parking lot by 1 PM. I chanced upon the S V museum opposite Vaikuntham Queue complex. The museum is a “must see” to understand the contributions to the temple over the centuries both in terms of architecture and content. The galleries at the museum are well laid out and include paintings, bronze statues, arms (!), temple architecture, stone images and much more. The entry is free but taking photos is prohibited.

It took us about an hour to browse through the museum. As we started walking away from the museum we chanced upon a free bus that keeps picking up the pilgrims and dropping them at various points around Tirumala.

We got down near the ATC parking where I was hailed by a street vendor. He informed me that I will be barred from entering the temple as I had Jeans and Kurta on me and the dress code of the temple did not permit Jeans. He was actually a “veshti” (dhoti) vendor and pawned off a veshti equal to a full length towel! I had to just circle around my jeans. With the “Veshti”, I had the required license to enter the temple. As we entered the hall it was like entering an international airport … our electronic items and footwear were tagged, a receipt issued, our special darshan pass and ID’s scrutinized and we were frisked for one last time. At this stage the pilgrims are offered the drink of their choice …. Kaapi, tea, more (chaas), Horlicks for children!!

My sense of direction was completely lost beyond this point…our only constant companion was the ancient stone walls on to one side and the bronze pipes dividing the serpentine queue on the other . With nothing much to do my power of observation took me to the level of Sherlock Holmes! Sometime in the past, idle pilgrims like me had inserted coins (demonetized now) between the rocks, through the length of the wall. I was looking for more precious items trapped between the rocks but was disappointed. Small kids were keeping their parents and their immediate neighbors entertained with their antics. A man was carrying a sack full of coins to be offered in the hundi…it was a monumental effort to adjust and carry the load in a queue that was moving in fits and starts …the entire area was well lit with ample fans to keep the heat away…as we near the sanctum sanctorum the walls are adorned with huge pictures depicting stories of Lord Vishnu. We went up multi storied buildings, entered wide halls which suddenly straitened just enough for a single row giving a hope that we have reached our threshold but it was just an illusion. One of the devotees was handing out pictures of manasarovar with a large “OM” depicted on the mountains… his way of garnering “punyam”… The corridor suddenly gave way to a large open space leading to the entrance of the “Garbhagriha” where the general queue merged with the special darshan queue…Emotion took over discipline …much of the crowd in front of us suddenly darted across the open space for an urgent communion with the almighty. My olfactory senses were the first to perceive the unique blend of sandalwood, sambrani (dhoop), incense, flowers etc. that is so typical of South Indian temples indicating that I was approaching the Garbhagriha before my eyes could adjust to the dark interiors and see beyond the sea of devotees in front of me.

Before I could prepare for the moment I was suddenly ushered to the vantage point for my communion with the Lord of Tirumala. I am not sure if it happens with everybody… the mind just goes blank… you look at the image as if you are seeing it for the first time… your palms just folds in submission…no prayers or long list of wishes escapes your lips…you just get lost in the ambiance and in eternity (aleast that is what you feel) till you are shaken out of your reverie and pushed physically to move ahead… I turn to my kids and inquire through sign language if they had the darshan and they nod not understanding the import of the moment (as per my worldview)… I suddenly realize that my 22 years of wish just got fulfilled! Having completed the darshan, the next goal is to get my hands on the “Laddu Prasadam” to complete my pilgrimage to Tirupati. I collected 8 laddus that my special darshan ticket entitled.

When we emerged out of the temple complex it was nearing 4 PM. On the way back we visited Pushkarini and the Varahaswamy temple… We followed the directions of Anna prasadam and my wish of building little embankments around running “Rasam River” on a banana leaf got fulfilled! The dining hall must have easily accommodated 4000 devotees at one time. The next stop was to collect our belongings. This was the only arduous task in the entire trip as we had to ask with multiple people before we could locate this building.

As we still had few hours left before our return journey, I decided to hire a vehicle to visit six popular spots around Tirumala.

Srivari Padalu

The first stop was at “Sri Vari Padalu”. There is a legend that Lord Venkateshwara set foot at this very spot on the Narayanagiri Hills, one of the seven divine hills. This is the highest point in Tirumala. The footprints of Lord Venkateshwara Swamy can still be seen and are encased in a glass frame to avoid damage from harsh weather.

Silathoranam

Sila (Rock) Thoranam (Garland) is a natural rock arch formation and is one of the few natural arches found in Asia. It has geological as well as religious importance. Devotees believe that this arch resembles the hood of a serpent, a conch and a discus all symbols of worship. The geological age of the rock is 2.5 million years and there are only similar arch bridges in the world …one in US and other in UK.

Chakra Teertham

Chakra Teertham, is a water body named after the chakra or the discus of Lord Vishnu. As per the legend, Lord Brahma once asked Lord Vishnu to find him a suitable place for penance. Lord Vishnu sent forth his discus which carved out an area on the Narayanagiri hill, creating a place for Lord Brahma to sit. The streams from the hills poured in to the gorge providing him with water.

Venugopalaswamy Temple

This can be reached through a row of curio shops selling idols, photo frames, CDs etc. Small eatery shops try to catch you attention by pushing their wares under your nose. Curiously, the temple charges entry fee of Rs. 2 per person! This Krishna temple is located in serene surroundings and is run by Hathimramji Mutt.

Akasaganga

Akashganna is believed to be a divine waterfall which is used for daily abhishekam of Sri Venkatachalapathi. There is a small Hanuman temple near it. Going by the name Akasganga one might expect a grand waterfall, but in reality it is small stream flowing through the hill channeled near the temple. Possibly during monsoon it might be a significantly sized waterfall.

On the road leading to this place, a man stood still, glittering in the setting sun …all silver. He was trying to revoke the memory of our Father of Nation, and earn a livelihood in the process.

Papavinashanam

Papavinashanam …as the name suggests, taking a bath here supposedly wash the sins of the devotees. It is believed that this water comes from the feet of the lord. It is a natural waterfall but the water is now channeled to flow through the mouth of man made lions. The reservoir supplies water to entire Tirumala.

A mention of Tirupati brings to mind Lord Balaji, huge crowds, tonsured heads, chants of Govinda and golden Laddoos. The devotion to this god has now become pervasive across all sections of the Indian society. It is one of the few religious places in India that has been able to hit a right balance between place of worship and cleanliness.

Govinda Govinda!!