Tirupati

Overview:

Stationed in the district of Chitoor in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh lies Tirupati, which is the largest city in the Rayalaseema region. The city is a world famous pilgrimage center and a major cultural city of India. Sited about twenty kilometers from the north-west region of Tirupati is the group of seven hills known as Tirumala. These rock mountains are the second oldest rock mountains in the world. The name Tirumala means ‘the holy mountain’, and is derived from the words ‘tiru’ and ‘mala’ belonging to the language of Tamil. ‘Tiru’ means holy or sacred, while ‘mala’ translates into mountain or hills. The richest temple of the world, Venkateswara Swamy Temple devoted to Lord Venkateswara is situated amidst flourishing greenery atop the hills of Tirumala. Historically, the site of Tirupati was an established Vaishnavism center during the 5^th century AD. Thereafter it was maintained and gradually upgraded by various kingdoms, including the Pallava’s, Chola’s as well as the Vijayanagara Empire. Interestingly, it was during the reign of the Vijayanagara Empire that the temple site received the most contributions. The city’s was initially established near ‘Kotturu’, which is known as modern day’s K.T Road area. Au courant Tirupati has expanded well beyond its ancient boundaries. Tirupati experiences extreme climates. The winter period from October to February is the best time to visit. Most of the tourists vacationing in south India, especially those with a religious bend of mind, also like to undertake a short trip to Tirupati. Lying at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats, the city is connected to some of the major south Indian cities and is easily accessible by road. The south of the capital city of the state, Hyderabad lies at a distance of 550 kilometers. Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka state lies at a distance of 260 kilometers, while it is just a 150 kilometers from the north of Chennai, which is the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu. At a distance of just 65 kilometers, the city of Chitoor lies closest to Tirupati. A majority of tourists prefer hiring cabs in Bangalore for their travel to Tirupati. Bangalore cab services, apart from offering a comfortable ride also allow the travelers to travel at their own pace. Tourists prefer to retain their rented cars or cabs from Bangalore to Tirupati for visiting the various places of interest in and around the place.

Places of interest:

Tirupati, in Andhra Pradesh, is located at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats. It is famous for the Sri Venkateshwara Temple located in the Tirumala, just 21 kilometres from Tirupati. Tirumala is an important pilgrimage centre in south India, attracting thousands of devotees from across the country throughout the year. Tourists usually take their rented car from Bangalore to Tirupati to visit the sacred shrine in Tirumala.

There are also a few other religious sites around the Ventakeshwara Temple that are worth visiting. Silathoranam is a natural rock formation that resembles the hood of a snake, a conch and discus. The formation is believed to be millions of years old.

Akash Ganga Teertham and PapavinasamTeertham are two of the revered waterfalls near the shrine. There are also a number of other temples in the region that one must visit while in Tirupati, which include Sri Annapurna SametaKasiVisweswaraswami Temple, Sri Govindarajaswami Temple, Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple, Sri Veda Narayanaswami Temple, Sri Varahaswami Temple and Sri Venugopalaswami Temple among others.

Renting a car to Tirupati from Bangalore makes it easy for tourists to commute in and around the place while visiting the various places of tourist interest.

Things to do:

Being a pilgrimage center, activities in Tirupati are naturally centered on the religious proceedings of the temple.

Visitors should participate in the early morning ritual of ‘suprabatham’, which is conducted in main temple. The deities are bathed and dressed during the ritual.

According to the local legend, Lord Ventakeshwara grants the wishes of the people who worship him at Tirupati. However, a sacrifice of hair is required to gain favor with the God.

Various figures of the deities and CDs reciting all and sundry ‘shlokas’, are available for purchase within the temple complex. The renowned Tirupati ‘ladoo’ which is also received as ‘prasadam’, is a delicacy in its own rights.

Situated at a stone’s throw away from Tirupati is the popular picnic spot of Talakona waterfall. The gushing water of the splendid waterfall proffers an imposing sight. Picnicing here can prove to be a quiet memorable experience. Alternatively, Rock garden is also a popular picnic spot.

Generally, visitors dine at the temple, however there are numerous eateries situated all over Tirupati. These restaurants and eateries serve food on banana leaves. The dish of ‘Sweet rice’ is amongst the traditional delicacies served in the region.

In the month of October the Brahmotsavam festival is celebrated. The festival ensues over nine days and is amongst the most prominent and auspicious events in Tirupati. According to the local legend, the celebrations were initiated by Lord Brahma to offer his regards and appreciation to Sri Balaji for the protection of mankind.