[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Akash86M

I'll be in tirupati on 19th with family. I couldn't get online tickets. What are the chances of getting them offline in tirupati?

Absolute zero chance unless you have a baby, with whom the parents can travel or you enter the regular darshan queue, with no promise of when you will finish darshan. It can take between a few hours to two days in the regular queue to finish. So better not attempt this.

The only legit way I can think of is contact any travel operator who organises package darshans. Perhaps they could just let you into their group booking for darshan while you make your own travel arrangements. But they would definitely charge a premium for this. I would not suggest trying out anything in haste such as attempting to bribe someone for darshan or contacting a tout in Tirumala, since lot of scams happen there.

[m2maddy]

Originally Posted by Akash86M

I'll be in tirupati on 19th with family. I couldn't get online tickets. What are the chances of getting them offline in tirupati?

If your baby is 1 year old, then the baby's parents can enter via supatham entrance for free darshan, but you need to be there around 8am, darshan allowed from 8.30 - 10.30. I think and darshan should be over in 2-3 hours.

[Akash86M]

Thankyou for information. Have contacted a few travel agents in Chennai. All are saying there is no availability for this month. One is offering spot for next month. Next week is Brahmotsav, so chances of getting offline tickets are low. I'm going for my kids mundan, hopefully will be able to do that. Will update info after my trip.
Cheers

[narayans80]

Plus it is a day after a long weekend. And it is purattasi month (which invites additional crowds to perumal temples) especially on a purattasi Saturday.

[Akash86M]

Originally Posted by m2maddy

If your baby is 1 year old, then the baby's parents can enter via supatham entrance for free darshan, but you need to be there around 8am, darshan allowed from 8.30 - 10.30. I think and darshan should be over in 2-3 hours.

Thankyou for information, it is very helpful. Will definitely check this option.

I remember being ushered to ahead of queue when I had gone for my elder daughter's mundan. This was in 2019. My daughter was 6 months old and there were 2 senior citizens with us. But I had special darshan tickets at the time. I wonder if I will be allowed to go there.
From the information I'm getting from locals there, it's going to be very crowded. And there are no chances of getting special darshan tickets.

[m2maddy]

Originally Posted by Akash86M

Thankyou for information, it is very helpful. Will definitely check this option.

I wonder if I will be allowed to go there.
From the information I'm getting from locals there, it's going to be very crowded. And there are no chances of getting special darshan tickets.

Darshan with infant (<1year) is through Supatham and no other entrance, it is time based and only parents and siblings of the kid < 12years are allowed to go in. This darshan will usually be better but remember in the end it joins the main queue so it will get crowded towards the end with lots of pushing.

AFAIK getting darshan ticket there itself will be difficult indeed, the only option I can suggest is go via package tour or take the APSRTC bus and book darshan ticket along with it, APSRTC allows you to book darshan ticket if you go by their bus for next day, so that is an option you can explore.

Other than that and if you are traveling with your parents then Supatham with kid is not an option.

[dust-n-bones]

Went to Tirumala on 15th September, with SED (Rs 300) tickets. The slot was 2pm, however there was no problem entering the queue at 12.
One of the persons in our group had forgotten his Aadhar card as well. That was not a problem either, the DL worked fine.

It took roughly 3 hours to complete the darshan queue, including approx 50 minutes in the waiting hall. There is much jostling as multiple lines are forced into narrow passages - something I think which can be improved.
Another nit-pick, if I may, is the grimy steel cages you are made to proceed through to the temple. A temple as rich as this can do much better.

Darshan itself is 3-5 seconds if you are lucky, but given the rush, that is what it is.


I personally think that we the pilgrims have unnecessarily made the darshan itself a singular focus of Tirumala. Temples (and other places of worship) in general are occasions to meditate on the serene, the divine in us all, to mingle with others without regard to their castes/religion/standing. Darshan is but one part of a spiritual experience.

For example, it is almost magical to partake the 'Annaprasadam', and marvel at the effort that goes into making it happen for thousands who go away smiling and contented every hour.

This was my first time. When I go again, I would not worry too much about reservations and queues, and try to enjoy the communion.

[BrokenHW]

Tirumala special entry darshan tickets update for the month of December 2023.
Bhaktas please plan your trip accordingly

[akhil_007]

Is there any limit on how many times we can have darshan of the Lord?

I have 300 rupees ticket for end of October but I'm planning to visit during 1st week of October via APSRTC package

[ravib]

I was blessed to get lord's darshan yesterday 24th Sept 2023.


Though i booked tickets in June, 3 months in advance when tickets opened, I wasn't very sure and skeptical whether i will make this trip to Tirumala, due to Brahmotsavam and auspicous Purattasi month heavy crowd. However god was kind and changed my mind and decided to go.

Left Bangalore C.V.Raman Nagar at 7 am and Reached Trichanoor Padmavathi temple at 10 am. After short break, took Rs. 200 tickets and got darshan in 10 minutes for main deity.

Then drove up to Tirumala and luckily very little to no crowd in Alipiri toll too.
Reached Tirumala at 1 pm and post lunch Joined queue at 3 pm. We got darshan in 2 hours at 5 pm and came out at 5.15 pm.

After some rest and collecting laddus, drove down to Tirupati , finished dinner and drove back to Bangalore.

Originally Posted by akhil_007

Is there any limit on how many times we can have darshan of the Lord?

I have 300 rupees ticket for end of October but I'm planning to visit during 1st week of October via APSRTC package

Yes, same ID card person cannot have same darshan within 30 days. So if you use same ID card , then it is not possible to book tickets. I believe it should be same case for APSRTC package too. So may be you can give a try with different ID card as a workaround.

-Ravi

[puntra800]

I tried booking today, in all the available slots was able to find only 1 ticket, had to drop plans and again try for Jan. On the hind sight looks like touts are making a lot of money, I got a contact who is like charging 10k per ticket and I was like no way I am paying that much.

[dass]

Originally Posted by puntra800

I tried booking today, in all the available slots was able to find only 1 ticket, had to drop plans and again try for Jan. On the hind sight looks like touts are making a lot of money, I got a contact who is like charging 10k per ticket and I was like no way I am paying that much.

What time did you try? I logged in at 5 mins before 10, was on waiting list for 6 mins, then the payment gate way crashed and was put back into the waiting queue for 3 mins and was able to complete the booking process for 4 tickets. By the time I was done, it was close to 10:20am. This was for the 20th of December.

[saisree]

I was able to book for 4 during the first week of December. Took me couple of retry's to get the tickets.

I'm still trying to understand this message "Other pilgrim has booked the same tickets that you booked, please try I again" It happens while we try to pay for the tickets.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by saisree

I was able to book for 4 during the first week of December. Took me couple of retry's to get the tickets.

I'm still trying to understand this message "Other pilgrim has booked the same tickets that you booked, please try I again" It happens while we try to pay for the tickets.

+1
Its crazy. How is it possible and i guess it is the case of poor UI messaging leading to confusion.

By and large, when we get this message, our chances of successful booking is almost zero.

-Ravi

[nareshtrao]

Originally Posted by ravib

+1
Its crazy. How is it possible and i guess it is the case of poor UI messaging leading to confusion.

By and large, when we get this message, our chances of successful booking is almost zero.

-Ravi

This happens quite often now. Last month I spent a fair bit of time but could not get any ticket due to this popping each time I tried to pay. And I could see the available ticket number counters coming down.

Yesterday I tried again and was successful in getting tickets in around 20 mins after 4 or 5 fails. Same issue of "Another pilgrim has booked this slot".

Another peculiar thing I notice from last month is that nowadays the slots prior to 1 or 2 pm on most days are not open. The first slot on most days is 2 pm. Is this a result of some changes made or are they selling 9 am to 1 pm slots in some other format? Anyone knows this?