Thursday, May 10, 2012

Trip to Tirupathi -2

Alipiri Route- continued

Gali Gopuram- tirumala entrance on the hill [Source: Google Images]

Devotees who reach tirumala by Alpiri can visit more temples en route, like narasimha swamy temple, anjaneya temple. I have not been in this route though. Also there is a enclosure set by the forest department which houses more than 30 deers. Eatables, drinking water and toilets are available enroute to tirumala. You have to pass through bio metric process (involves finger print, photos) 2 or 3 times enroute. This will capture the time you reach each centre. This is to ensure devotees travel the complete path and don't go back by cab after climbing few steps. Priority for free rooms will be taken care when you reach tirumala.  When Free darshan takes you 6hrs to see the lord, the pedestrian walk will take 4hrs to see the lord. once you reach tirumala, you can collect the baggages and put them in a cloak room designated for pedestarian walkers. TTD runs many cloak rooms in tirumala and each cloak room is designated for different devotees. so make sure you deposit the baggages in right cloak room. you must switch off the mobile phones and handover in the cloak room along with the baggages. but baggages and mobile will be placed in different places. They will put a label on the mobile and keep them safely in cupboard. so no need to worry about baggages, luggages and footwears. The cloakrooms will take care of these and you ensure peaceful dharsan.

Source : Google Images

Source : Google Images


Once you deposit your belongings you can join the designated queues located in different complex. they will check the biometric slips when they let you inside. They will put you inside an auditorium(looks similar to stands in stadium). Each enclosure can accomodate 250 peoples and they have one entry and 2 exits. There are multiple toilets/bathrooms (10 per enclosure). You will be served free food every 2-3hrs along with drinking water. Tea/coffee/milk is also served for free. Food and beverages(milk/tea/coffee) are free and people will rush to collect them. there are no restrictions to the quantity served. There is huge LCD which telecasts SVBC channels and purana movies like mahabharatha,ramayana and many other classics. once you enter the enclosure the entry gates will be locked. you can also see the approximate time of dharsan near the entry of enclosure. They will update date and time of dharsan.

In case of emergency or if you wish to make calls you will be given a photo identity card and you will have 1hr or 2hrs to return. The timings will be allowed after assessing  the need for moving out. You have to return before the time mentioned in the photocard. You will not be allowed if you come after the said timings. In this case you will be treated as a new devotee and you will be put in different enclosure along with the devotees entering at that time.

once your dharsan time is due the exit gates will be opened and devotees starting rushing. all will be chanting govinda, govinda..and then the crowd moves forward. your next stop is to verify the biometric slip in case if you had come by walk. In case of sarvadharsanam queue. you will be put in a queue where you need to pay 5rs for one laddu. after this you will see the lord in 1hrs time.

The second route to reach tirumala by walk is srivari mettu. Very less known and more people started walking in this route recently. The route is clean and facilities are good. This way is not crowded like the famous alipiri route. As per history krishnadeva raya and many other kings used to visit tirumala in this route. To walk in this route you have to travel 16kms from Tirupathi Railway station. TTD runs free buses from Tirupathi bus station an Railway station to Srivari mettu. But the frequency is less. You better take a bus and reach srinivasa mangapuram (very less known to other state people). Have dharsan here and take share autos to srivari mettu which is 6kms from here. There is no separate shrine for thayar and lord srinivasa is very beautiful. All sevas to the lord are performed as in tirumala and you can get tickets easily after reaching there. The srivari mettu route takes you directly to backside of tirumala temple. Will share more information once I visit this route.


To be continued...



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