TIRUPATI BALAJI DARSHAN
First things first, You need to book the tickets online in advance. Which would be 3 months prior to the day when you want the darshan or tickets for that matter. In such a case where you are lucky enough to get the tickets online you would still have to be in the queue for 2–3 hours.
Now, let’s say you are just like me who decided to go & make this trip or darshan an impromptu aka. adventurous, Let me tell you, you are in for a ride. It takes or could take 8 to 10 hours. In some cases I have even heard people had been waiting for at least 10 hours and had made their way back without the darshan as it was actually taking forever.
So, this type of Darshan is the FREE Darshan. Where many people make their way through this path. And trust me people believe in gods more than their lives. So despite the long hours, people invest their 1–2 days in the area of that temple. Until they see their gods for good.
They would be ready to wait for all those hours, Confined in the rooms. Just to give some perspective here, food and other basic facilities like washrooms and all are provided. But don’t expect a 5 star hygiene. As there is a crowd of n No. of people in there.
Honestly, to manage and sheerly come up with a solution alone to handle this huge crowd in itself is a miracle. They provide upma, sweet milk, dal khichdi etc for FREE.
By the way I wouldn’t ever make the mistake of getting in the free queue again. Or would I? Chuckle Chuckle
The charges to get the tickets online would be let’s say around Rs. 300. By the way the rules of the darshan or system per se keep changing with time. So, it is important to know the UPDATED protocols. But yeah, the wait for the Free darshan, if it’s especially unplanned that stays the same or even worse.
There is a way where you could get the token near the Tirupati Bus stop, I emphasize the word Near. It’s not exactly at Tirupati bus stop. But very close to the location. Could be 5 minutes walk from the Tirupati Bus stop. So, the token system is still a free darshan, however it helps reduce quite some time which you could spend in the area of the temple. This is again for the impromptu and adventurous people.
Interestingly, if you have good connections and by connections I mean elite class connections at tirupati. You would definitely get the VIP darshan which is even better than Rs. 300 online booking. But for the people like you and I, where just for the darshan I don’t know how much network building would be required. Rs 300 rupees online booking is always feasible. Unless you want the adventure. Giggle Giggle
LEAVE YOUR PHONES, BAGS, FOOTWEAR AT YOUR HOTEL!
Perhaps not your phone, Perhaps!
That statement will make sense once you read what is about to follow. And frankly speaking, to actually know what to do for a smooth Tirupati darshan you need to have one of the following: experience, good connections, proper plan, read the blog well and assess the situation OR get in the free queue and HOPE that you get a token.
I went, in the month of October 2023 and way before Navratri or Diwali. No matter how hard you try to get up early and beat the queue, it’s going to be a lost cause. Even if you make it there around 04:00 AM!
Now coming to the personal Belongings such as phones, bags, footwear etc. I recommend leaving them at your hotel because it’s just better. Yes! Even your footwear! Just carry some cash with you and you are good. So, the case with phones is that there is a place inside the temple to deposit them. But it was heartbreaking to see so many people behind me in huge numbers walking past us, just like that.
To give you more context, these smart people were not carrying phones with them. So, they didn’t have to wait at the counter to deposit the burden (Phones) and put in more time. In all fairness though, depositing the phones does not and should not take more than 5 to 10 minutes BUT the people behind you without phones are not going to show mercy and will get ahead in the line. If you don’t care for that then yeah you can carry your priceless body parts (Phone) with you. Same procedure for the bags.
Now, coming to the collection of the phones. Well, first let me tell you, we are not kings or gods Or Rajinikanths of these places. So there is not going to be a special treatment where they would hand over the phones as soon as you step outside the Darshan place. I’ll get to your phones, bear with me.
If you didn’t have the LADOOS (Sweets) of Tirupati Balaji after the Darshan, your visit is not exactly in vain but yeah close to that. Because more than those ladoos being some form of sweet, it’s the PRASAD of the Almighty Gods. That is a different hassle and a line in itself. So get ready to strap up your boots, Oh I just forgot, you can’t. Giggle Giggle
Once you are done with collecting your Ladoos aka. Prasad, You will finally be able to step outside the place. And now reconnecting to the storyline of your much awaited body part, Phones!. Not any such issue but they are pretty far away from the exit, quite honestly. You have to keep asking the people there and the right people.
What do I mean by right people (that is going to be another blog, genuinely) But whatever is necessary and important to cover all about darshan that is going to be in this one, don’t worry. To summarize, it could be a bit challenging to talk to people there, as everyone doesn’t speak English or Hindi. Most people speak regional languages there. However, you will make it, afterall you are at God’s abode. People are kind there and open to help you out.
It’s quite the walk from the Darshan and Prasad exit to where your phones end up, after being deposited. You get your phones for sure, as you get the coupon at the counter with a number on it. Not to mention if your determination and will have not given up on you yet, that is, Just kidding. If You are still alive is what I mean.
Anyways, one in the rational mind would sit, relax, have some meal or a drink before running for their cell phones like mad bulls, in my honest opinion. Your phones are safe, they are not going anywhere. So, be Calm. And with the bags btw. I didn’t carry any bags with me, So I skipped that commotion. But bags mostly would follow the same procedures as phones.
Image by Haley Truong on Unsplash
Now, the footwear on the other hand. Oh, what a mess! If there is a counter inside as systematic as the phones and bags. PLEASE mention it somewhere, so that the devotees visiting sheerly for the God’s Blessing don’t have to fight a battle of life and death. I had placed my footwear at a shoe rack. Exactly, it is as random as it is sounding!
So while you are making your way to the temple and the very destination of it. You would find a shoe rack with numbers on it. So, while entering the temple you are just supposed to trust people with the fact that no one is going to steal it. And that is the case. No one steals! Call it god’s miracle or whatever, it ends up being safe. I say it because there is no Man or Woman taking care of it. It’s just there, chilling all by itself on the number where you kept it.
The number which by the way I noted down in my phone.
Because, by the time I was out of the temple. I had forgotten what the number was and can you blame me. I was there for only God knows how long (Pun intended). But I still stick by what I stand for. You could carry a pen with you to write the number down or memorize it. Don’t carry an entire 16 inch display to remember a number. Continuing with the footwear, I had LOST them! I had truly lost them.
As the EXIT which you make and by the time you collect your phone. You are totally in a different universe or shall I say, way far from the entrance. TOO FAR! I had to take a Cab to get near to where my footwear was. As, You don’t know where the footwear is exactly. For, there are several entrances and exits. You just have to tell people around, what you want and what happened to you. They will understand and will guide you correctly if your luck is in your favor.
There was a moment when I didn’t care anymore whether I was lost or not. I Just wanted to find my newly bought, 2 weeks new, footwear. Which I almost thought of giving up btw! Because it’s just not worth it. I know people are helpful there but sometimes it’s the language barrier, sometimes even the locals can’t help you since how much an individual can know about the VAST spiritual place and what all it enfolds.
To cut the long story short, I found my footwear. Don’t get me even started. PRETTY PRETTY LONG STORY. Smirk And yeah go without the footwear for darshan as far as my experience is concerned!
Man, I had lost myself in the writing for a while up there. Moving on, I said perhaps for the phones because there is literally a silver lining to this. Phone you could carry because let’s face It, in today’s time, helps all of us a lot. Just in case who is genuinely very lost and needs some help could always make a call and resolve the issue. Of Course when the person has the phone with him/her.
Nevertheless, For true adventurers like me. I differ from that perception. In this situation, I would like to keep all my belongings at the hotel. And for some reason I know I am going to make it out alive by the blessings of god. And even so to speak realistically. Just carry some bucks with you. Because then you don’t have the worry of extra queues, collections from counters which only Venkateshwara knows how far they would be from each other. So, some cash and ask people, if there are any doubts. You will reach your hotel safe and sound.
BTW If you plan to do so, keep a note of the hotel’s LANDMARK really well! Remember the roads just in case. And you are good to go!
And now one of the most integral parts of the blog! If, by the grace of god, this blog is lucky enough to reach the pillars of the temple and by pillars I mean the people who run the temple.
With all due respect Sir/Madam, I primarily appreciate you and your team, for keeping up with such a godly act. What you do almost everyday is truly beyond words. I mean, to manage such a huge crowd of devotees is definitely not everyones cup of tea.
Additionally, what my humble request would be is, the SYSTEM of the place needs some changing. The new ENGINEERING of the system in the favor of making it convenient for all, would help a lot of devotees to get darshan more smoothly. Or at the least a system where Pilgrims would know a proper plan to make the darshan more convenient. That’s that.
Now again a side note for pilgrims. If you are just coming for Tirupati Balaji Darshan I would suggest not making bookings of a round trip, if you are new to this. Or atleast book the round trip with departure of at least 2 -3 days later from the day you are going to go for darshan. Considering you are going in the FREE queue. And even if let’s say you make it all happen before time, you would have some more places to explore and most importantly, time to REST.
Thank you
GOVINDAAAA GOOOVINDA
GOVINDAAAA GOOOVINDA
GOVINDAAAA GOOOVINDA
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Thanks again for reading.
Oh by the way, after the Tirupati Darshan you have to go to Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Temple for COMPLETING THE DARSHAN.
# The best time to visit Tirupati is to avoid the rush!
# Long queues # Heavy crowd # Challenges with visiting Tirupati Balaji
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# Goddess Padmavathi # Shree Mahalakshmi # Lord Shiva # Lord Brahma # Health # Blessings # Wealth
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