Visiting Tirumala on New Year's Day i.e January 1st and having the darshan of Sri Venkateswara Swamy on this day has become a sentiment for many devotees across the country. They feel blessed to have the darshan of Lord Balaji on New Year's Day.
Tirumala is a world renowned pilgrim place and there are many places to visit in and aroun Tirumala.
Trip planner for visiting Tirumala on New Year's day need to be done well in advance as it is not easy to get accommodation and seva darshan tickets. Devotees can make all the booking online from tirumala.org.
Trains, Tirupati RS (Railway Station), Choultaries, private hotels, cottages, TTD guest houses and all other accommodations will be heavily crowded with pilgrims on Dec 31 night and Jan 1 morning. Many pilgrims climb Tirumala Hills.
Pilgrims with advanced booking of accommodation can proceed to CRO (Central Reception Office).
Darshan lines on the night of Dec 31st will be too long with serpentine bends. Pilgrims need to be strictly in traditional attire. Gents should compulsorily wear dhoti and angavastram (upper cloth) or pyjama kurta.
Vendors all along the lines, will be selling dhoti and angavastram at many spots at a very reasonable price for the convenience of those pilgrims who visit in non-traditional dress.
At the entry point there won't be much crowd, so pilgrims can quickly reach up to Vaikuntham Q complex. From this point, you could see the crowd gradually increasing. On 31st niht you see most of the devotees sitt and pass out time in the lines. You find it very unusual as the devotees in the lines literally keep running and running, pushing others. As it is Dec 31st night, devotees want to have the darshan of Lord Venkateswara at the stroke of 12. But the volunteer scouts will not let the pilgrims stand but they shout at them and ask them to move as the temple closes by 11.30 p.m on Dec 31st night.
As usual there will be heavy crowd with forceful pushes at Bangaru Vakili. However, the devotees will have a sigh of relief on having the darshan of Lord Venkateswara.
Govinda! Govinda!
Bedi Hanuman temple close to the place where pilgrims light up camphor and break coconut overseeing the temple of Lord Venkateswara, will be heavily crowded on New Year's day morning.
The main entrance gate of Lord Venkateswara temple will be beautifully decorated with fresh flowers on the New Year's Day morning.
Mostly darshans / sevas will be stopped on New Year's Day morning. You can see pilgrims hanging around the temple, going to Tarigonda Vengamamba Annadana Satram for free meals supplied to the pilgrims. The premises is too huge and is well maintained.
We were served 'sambar rice' and 'curd rice' which we savored as 'mahaprasadam' and got back to our room.
In the evening of New Year's Day also there will be long serpentine lines and the temple premises will be heavy crowded with inflow and outflow of devotees. You will be literally sandwiched and pushed by the heavy inflow of pilgrims. There is no point in blaming or shouting at one another. Everyone will be sailing in the same boat and no one will know / understand who pushes the other.. After the forceful pushes in the entrance you will be literally squeezed at Bangaru Valika (the Gold Gate) and finally you can successfully have the divine darshan of Lord Venkateswara from a distance. Upon having the darshan of Sri Balaji, devotees will enjoy divine bliss forgetting the forceful pushes which they experienced until then.
Pilgrims also visit the other attractions in and around Tirumala based on their trip planner.
Tirumala is a world renowned pilgrim place and there are many places to visit in and aroun Tirumala.
Trip planner for visiting Tirumala on New Year's day need to be done well in advance as it is not easy to get accommodation and seva darshan tickets. Devotees can make all the booking online from tirumala.org.
Trains, Tirupati RS (Railway Station), Choultaries, private hotels, cottages, TTD guest houses and all other accommodations will be heavily crowded with pilgrims on Dec 31 night and Jan 1 morning. Many pilgrims climb Tirumala Hills.
Pilgrims with advanced booking of accommodation can proceed to CRO (Central Reception Office).
Darshan lines on the night of Dec 31st will be too long with serpentine bends. Pilgrims need to be strictly in traditional attire. Gents should compulsorily wear dhoti and angavastram (upper cloth) or pyjama kurta.
Vendors all along the lines, will be selling dhoti and angavastram at many spots at a very reasonable price for the convenience of those pilgrims who visit in non-traditional dress.
At the entry point there won't be much crowd, so pilgrims can quickly reach up to Vaikuntham Q complex. From this point, you could see the crowd gradually increasing. On 31st niht you see most of the devotees sitt and pass out time in the lines. You find it very unusual as the devotees in the lines literally keep running and running, pushing others. As it is Dec 31st night, devotees want to have the darshan of Lord Venkateswara at the stroke of 12. But the volunteer scouts will not let the pilgrims stand but they shout at them and ask them to move as the temple closes by 11.30 p.m on Dec 31st night.
As usual there will be heavy crowd with forceful pushes at Bangaru Vakili. However, the devotees will have a sigh of relief on having the darshan of Lord Venkateswara.
Govinda! Govinda!
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| Pilgrim just spending time in front of the main gate |
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| On the left is Bedi Hanuman temple |
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| Floral decoration of the main gate |
We were served 'sambar rice' and 'curd rice' which we savored as 'mahaprasadam' and got back to our room.
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| Tarigonda Vengamamba Annadana Satram |
Pilgrims also visit the other attractions in and around Tirumala based on their trip planner.