[itwasntme]

When is a good time to visit Tirumala again? Understand unbearably hot now and SED tickets till June anyway sold out.

[manjubp]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

When is a good time to visit Tirumala again? Understand unbearably hot now and SED tickets till June anyway sold out.

This year we are seeing historical average high temperature regularly getting breached by 3-5degC. With that post September may be the better time to visit.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

When is a good time to visit Tirumala again? Understand unbearably hot now and SED tickets till June anyway sold out.

I went there on Ugadi (9th April) and returned on 10th April. Took Slotted Sarvadarshan (SSD) ticket at Bhoodevi complex, Alipiri at 5am. Got tickets for 7pm reporting at ATGH Tirumala. Went up by walk via Alipiri route. Took room in a Mutt. Reported at 6.45pm for darsan. Darsan completed by 10.45pm and reached room by 11.15pm.
Next morning, went to other temples in Tirumala, Tirupati and reached Bangalore by night.

Overall, Tirupati was as hot as Bangalore. Surprisingly, Tirumala, though sunny, was not as warm as Bangalore. Quite bearable during day and pleasant during mornings and evenings.

Hope this helps.

[im_chandan]

Dear Devotee of Lord Govinda,

I seek your assistance with the following query:

As a first-time visitor to Tirumala residing in Bangalore, I have secured a SED ticket for the 4:00 pm slot on 22nd August. Additionally, I have booked accommodation in Tirumala for the same day, with a reporting time between 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

Could you please help me plan the itinerary for this darshan? I will be traveling with my family, including a small child, in our own car. Specifically, I need guidance on where to take a lunch break and where to park the car in Tirumala etc.

Starting: Bangalore
Darshan Time Slot: 4:00 PM
Report for accommodation: 12-6PM

Thank you for your assistance.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by im_chandan

Dear Devotee of Lord Govinda,

I seek your assistance with the following query:

As a first-time visitor to Tirumala residing in Bangalore, I have secured a SED ticket for the 4:00 pm slot on 22nd August. Additionally, I have booked accommodation in Tirumala for the same day, with a reporting time between 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

Could you please help me plan the itinerary for this darshan? I will be traveling with my family, including a small child, in our own car. Specifically, I need guidance on where to take a lunch break and where to park the car in Tirumala etc.

Starting: Bangalore
Darshan Time Slot: 4:00 PM
Report for accommodation: 12-6PM

Thank you for your assistance.

Here are my recommendations for you.

Day-1
--------

1) Leave Bangalore around 6 am to 7 am ( as you have small child). Take K.R.Puram-Kolar-Mulbagal-Bangarupalayam-Chittoor Bypass (Take left) and hit amazing 10 lane road towards Tirupati. You can comfortably reach Tirupati in 4 hours max, even in normal 100 kmph driving speed, plus additional breaks if any.

For breakfast, you can either finish early breakfast in bangalore itself and start or else stop at many restaurants between Kolar to AP Border.
Couple of suggestions:

Aaradhya Grand : https://maps.app.goo.gl/QZZ8o6wqsJrrEDzw8
Sree Krishna Grand : https://maps.app.goo.gl/ACHjFV4Lg7XgTvWp8


2) Reach Tirupati by noon 12 pm and you can have awesome yummy food at PS4 veg restaurant for lunch. https://maps.app.goo.gl/pJCgtzvyS73bbprWA
If you / family has motion sickness due to ghat roads after eating food, then suggest to pack food and drive up to Tirumala via Alipiri Ghat roads and then have it in Tirumala. Budget for 30 minutes in Alipiri Toll for security check and waiting time plus another 45 minutes for driving up hill.

3) Reach Tirumala by 1:30 pm or so and go straight to Room booking CRO office (https://maps.app.goo.gl/62sv6hEhfsKtBE2D8), report and check-in to get a room as first thing in Tirumala. You can park the car near to the allotted guest house itself.

4) After short break, around 3 pm or 3.30 pm, suggest you can take a jeep if available near to your guest house and go straight Vaikuntam Queue complex for Rs. 300 SED entrance near ATC circle (https://maps.app.goo.gl/1xy7utpBQEnu3iAT9) .

In case if there are no jeeps available from room, take your car itself and drive near to ATC circle, drop the family/kid and you can park near to Museum (https://maps.app.goo.gl/aPitfTzk9Last9qu6). Take a jeep back from there to ATC circle or walk for 15 minutes to enter the queue.

5) Enter the queue around 4 pm or so after coffee/tea. Of course you are allowed to enter earlier itself, but it will be tight for you to rush up with kid.

6) Assume darshan will take about 3 to 4 hours, you can exit temple by 7ish , and go and collect laddus which is 5 minutes walk behind the temple and clear direction boards are there.

7) Finish dinner in that area itself near to temple and Return back to car (or) Take jeep and return back to hotel and rest for the day.

Important points to note for darshan:
1) YOu need to wear traditional dress (Shirt/Dhoti/Saree/Salwar/Chudidhar with Duppatta for ladies) etc and no modern/revealing dresses allowed. Read the permitted dresses in the ticket.
2) Absolutely no electronic gadget allowed (No mobile phones, smart watches etc). You are better to keep them in your car itself before coming for darshan from room itself . Or alternatively can deposit in a locker, but beware of waiting queues and time lost.
3) YOu can carry small back pack with biscuits , water etc for yourself and kids. No issues.
4) Remember, after entering the queue, you may be put in a waiting hall cages and locked up for 1 to 2 hours, so need to be patient to wait there till they open it. So you can take some books or small toys to keep the kid engaged.
5) Do take print out for darshan as you won't be carrying mobile phones. Also remember to be with family as there is no mode of communication and avoid missing people due to crowd and lack of mobile.

--------
Day-2
------
1) Refresh in the morning, get ready, check out the room and drive down to Tirupati.
2) Have breakfast in same PS4 in Tiruchaanoor bypass road. And then proceed to Padmavathi temple which is just 2 kms away from the hotel and closer to bangalore bypass.
3) You can finish darshan in 1 hour , if you take special entrance ticket ( i guess it is Rs. 200/- now per person)
4) And then you can drive straight to bangalore which will take 4 hours and have lunch in Bangalore itself.


All the best for your first darshan.
God bless - Om Namo Narayanaya !

-Ravi

[jkrishnakj]

Dear All

Important updates from TTD summarised below:

1. Online booking of Rs. 300 Seekradarshan tickets will be open on 24th of each month
2. Non-Lottery Online Arjitha seva bookings will be open on 21st of each month
3. Tirupati/Tirumala accommodation online bookings will be open on 25th of each month
4. Electronic Dip for Arjita sevas - Payment for darshan for these to be done between 20th and 22nd of each month
5. Online tickets for Senior Citizens will be open on 23rd of each month

[aston_martyr]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Dear All

Important updates from TTD summarised below:

1. Online booking of Rs. 300 Seekradarshan tickets will be open on 24th of each month
2. Non-Lottery Online Arjitha seva bookings will be open on 21st of each month
3. Tirupati/Tirumala accommodation online bookings will be open on 25th of each month
4. Electronic Dip for Arjita sevas - Payment for darshan for these to be done between 20th and 22nd of each month
5. Online tickets for Senior Citizens will be open on 23rd of each month

Thanks for the update.
I will be travelling on the 1st of July, hopefully the darshan times are not astronomical as some recent reports have shown.

[jkrishnakj]

Should have got normalised now aston_martyr. I have a darshan on the 20th June and will write back on the time it takes.

School holidays are done. Crowds will get slimmer. 1st July is a Monday, so, you should be fine I guess.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by ravib

So you can take some books or small toys to keep the kid engaged.

Superb information even for veterans. Thank you very much!

Had a hilarious experience last time at the Alipiri checking point. Was carrying my trusty Sherlock Holmes compendium which was scrutinised in depth by the initial guys. I requested them to take it to their supervisor who looked at it, gave me a broad grin and handed it back.

Generally, they frown upon carrying excessive literature and/or political or overly religious/community/caste identity car stickers.

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Dear All

Important updates from TTD summarised below:

1. Online booking of Rs. 300 Seekradarshan tickets will be open on 24th of each month
2. Non-Lottery Online Arjitha seva bookings will be open on 21st of each month
3. Tirupati/Tirumala accommodation online bookings will be open on 25th of each month
4. Electronic Dip for Arjita sevas - Payment for darshan for these to be done between 20th and 22nd of each month
5. Online tickets for Senior Citizens will be open on 23rd of each month

Thank you for these timelines, and looking forward to your 20/6 experience!

[sanjaykk]

I have booked for Angapradakshinam in August using the TTD App. However, I wasn't asked to make any payment. Is this how it is? Will I be required to make payment later/at the temple?

[prabhusati]

Originally Posted by sanjaykk

I have booked for Angapradakshinam in August using the TTD App.
However, I wasn't asked to make any payment. Is this how it is?
Will I be required to make payment later/at the temple?

For Angapradakshinam, there is no payment to be made.

[m2maddy]

Originally Posted by sanjaykk

I have booked for Angapradakshinam in August using the TTD App.
However, I wasn't asked to make any payment. Is this how it is?
Will I be required to make payment later/at the temple?

No payment, do note, you need to go in dhoti only and take a dip in Pushkarani around 12.30am and report to the queue on / before 1am. By the time darshan is done it is around 4.15am

[dust-n-bones]

Originally Posted by aston_martyr

Thanks for the update.
I will be travelling on the 1st of July, hopefully the darshan times are not astronomical as some recent reports have shown.

Visited yesterday, June 14 with SED tickets for 2pm. Entered the queue around 12.30, was done with darshan by 3.30. Annaprasadam took another hour, and 30 minutes more for laddus.

Returned same day.

[gurminder_81]

Visited the revered temple on the evening of 14th June 2024.

Started from Bangalore at 12:20 PM and reached one of the car parking (mullaguntha) spot at 5:30 PM.

Walked to the SED queue entry point, got into the queue and finally seated in one of the waiting chambers at exactly 6:35 PM. Our allotted ticket had a time of 10 PM, but were allowed to go without any fuss.

I was worried about smart keys and digital watches not being allowed, but the management only requested to deposit mobile phones and car keys and digital watches were allowed. Felt happy and relieved as we were not carrying our phones.

While waiting in the chambers, prasadam was served. The chamber gate was opened after exactly 1 hour at 7:35 PM and slowly slowly we made progress for the darshan. There was chaos after exiting the chambers while entering the main temple complex, otherwise the queue was well managed.

Had blissful darshan at 8:30 PM and exited the complex after collecting laddus at around 9:05 PM. Started for Tirupati at 9:25 PM for an overnight stay.

The next morning visited Srikalahasti temple and returned home by 5 PM.

All in all, very calm and peaceful darshan in less time. The next day, the following news article came in talking about darshan queues extending to over 3 kms outside the temple.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...le68293341.ece

[jkrishnakj]

Good visit yesterday. Left at 7.30 from JP nagar and was at Tirumala by 12 noon. Joined the Q, which turned out to be an unusually long walk till the scan centre. I was thinking the the crowds might be very high. We got locked into a chamber by 12.45 pm. We were served hot sambar rice there. Delicious food.

Around 1.45, it was open and we almost sprinted till the X ray check area, post which, the crowd swelled higher towards the main entrance. Overall a good darshan. Left Tirumala at 3.30 pm after picking the Ladoo Prasadam. Had a good late lunch at PS4 before having a rain filled drive getting back home by 10.00 pm.

Roads are good overall. Satisfying trip. Hope the lord calls again for a next darshan.