The holy abode of Lord Venkateswara Swamy, Tirupati Balaji Temple is one of the major sites of pilgrimage. On a regular basis the temple witnesses a huge crowd of around 50,000 people. Also popular as Tirumala Temple, Tirupati Temple, Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple or Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam it is one of the most visited temples in the country as well. Dedicated to Lord Venkateswara the presiding deity here is one form of Lord Vishnu. According to beliefs Lord Venkateswara appeared on Earth to save humankind from Kali Yuga. If you are interested in making a visit to the Tirupati Balaji Temple soon then this will be a helpful article for you. It will be the ultimate Tirupati Balaji Temple Travel Guide that you need to plan a successful trip there.
Tirupati Balaji Temple Travel Guide
No matter if you are travelling solo or in a group I will provide you all the information about Tirupati Balaji Temple. You can consider this article as a comprehensive Tirupati Balaji Tour Plan where I will let you know everything about your visit. The article will be divided into some sections like
1. How to reach
2. Where to Stay
3. Special Darshan Ticket
4. Food Options
5. Other Tirupati Tourist Places
6. Budget
This will be a 2 days 1 night Tirupati Tour Guide and this will definitely be a helpful article for you in planning a tour there. So keep on reading this article on Tirupati Balaji Temple Travel Guide to plan a trip to this temple within a budget.
Location: S Mada Street, Tirumala, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
How to reach
By train
One of the best options to reach the temple is by train as it is an affordable option too. You will get trains from major cities and towns to reach Tirupati easily and the nearest railway station is Tirupati Railway Station. But there are some trains that would not stop at the Tirupati Station. And in that case you need to reach the station before that which is the Renigunta Station. From the Renigunta Station however you will have to take an auto rickshaw to reach Tirupati conveniently.
By air
The next best option to reach Tirupati is by flight which you can opt for. The nearest airport to reach the temple is the Tirupati International Airport. You will get flights from major cities and towns to reach Tirupati and the cost would be around Rs. 7000 per person.
Where to Stay
Now I will explain everything about where to stay in this article of Tirupati Balaji Temple Travel Guide. On the first day of the trip you will have to reach Tirupati first as early as possible in the morning. And then first of all you will have to check in to any hotel there. However there is also another option for staying there and that is the Tirupati Devasthanam Free Guesthouse or TTD Guesthouse.
If you are searching for a hotel then you will get some budget options for a stay just outside the railway station in Tirupati. There are hotels available here and the price of the hotel ranges from Rs. 500 to Rs. 2000. One of the best things here is that you will get hotels here on a 24 hour basis. This means if you are checking into the hotel at 8 am in the morning, you will therefore have to check out at 8 am the next morning.
I have stayed in Hotel Vaishnavi Inn that is located very close to the Tirupati Railway Station. The price for an AC room here was Rs. 1800 for 3 people. Personally I could not book the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Guesthouse due to unavailability. But if you are getting that option then you can definitely book your stay there.
About TTD
The Tirupati Temple is located on top of the Tirumala Hill and it is around 24 km away from the Tirupati city. So if you are booking TTD Guest house then you will get options to book rooms at Tirupati and even in Tirumala. The room charges are Rs. 200 for Non AC Rooms and Rs. 400 for AC Rooms. But keep in mind that the booking would solely depend on the availability here. Therefore the best option would be to book the guesthouse online at the same time when you will be booking for the Special Entry Darshan Tickets at Tirupati.
Rules to follow for booking TTD Guesthouse
1. Note that you can book the TTD Guesthouse only when you have a valid Special Darshan Ticket along with you.
2. You will have to provide the same amount of money extra during the room booking as a caution deposit. And later they will refund that money when you will be checking out of the guesthouse.
3. The rooms are only allotted for 24 hours here. And beyond those 24 hours you cannot stay back at the guesthouse. You will have to check out at the same time when you have checked in to the guest house.
4. In case you are travelling solo you would not be able to avail the TTD Guesthouse option for a stay as they do not give rooms to a single person.
5. In a time period of 30 days you will be able to book only 2 rooms here and not more than that.
So that was all about the TTD Guesthouse rules and regulations and now I guess you have a clear idea about a stay there. According to me it would be better if you can book a hotel for a stay there as that will be more flexible for you. The budget in that case would get a little higher but you will be able to adjust the tour according to your specific timings. Also note that if you have an option for a hotel to stay here you will only get that in Tirupati and not in Tirumala.
Tirupati Balaji Tour Plan
Day 1
For the Day 1 of Tirupati Balaji Temple Travel Guide you will have to reach Tirupati by 8 am in the morning and then check in to your hotel or guesthouse. Then after getting fresh you will therefore have to start your journey towards the Tirumala Hills. It is recommended that you visit the sightseeing locations in Tirumala first and then by 5 pm you will have to stand in the line of Special Darshan at the Tirupati Temple. To reach the Tirupati Temple you will get shared jeeps as well as buses from the railway station itself. The bus fare is around Rs. 50 per person and for shared jeeps the fare is around Rs. 120 per person. It will approximately take you around an hour to cover this distance and reach the Tirupati Temple.
In between you will reach the Saptagiri Checkpoint and there you will have to go through a security check before you start your journey again. It is mandatory for all the people as well as the vehicles to go through this security check before they can travel towards the Tirumala Hills. Moreover, keep in mind that you should not carry plastic bottles in your bag. Here they even have washroom facilities so in case you need to use it, you can do that as well.
Tirumala Tourist Places
After reaching Tirumala you can book a shared ride to visit the sightseeing locations here. In total there are 6 major sightseeing locations in Tirumala that are very popular for visitors. For a share car the fare would be Rs. 200 per person and it will take around 3 hours for you to cover all the sightseeing locations here.
Srivari Padalu
This is the very first sightseeing spot that you should visit here. This is another important temple that you should visit at Tirumala. According to beliefs this is the location where Lord Vishnu set his foot first as he descended from heaven to earth for the first time in the form of Balaji. A huge number of devotees visit this temple to offer prayers to his footprints.
Silathoranam and Chakra Teertham
This is the next sightseeing location and unlike other sightseeing spots here which are majorly temples this is a natural arch here along with a garden. The arches that you would get to see here are around 250,000 years old and are one of the major finds of the Archeological Department in India. Silathoranam actually literally translates to natural rock formation. It is a heritage landmark that you can visit here and one of the most important national monuments that the State Government protects. This is furthermore the location where Lord Vishnu set his second foot after Srivari Padalu.
Chakra Teertham is yet another important sightseeing location here. According to beliefs this is the location where Lord Brahma had performed penance. However, later Lord Vishnu cleansed this site with his Sudarshan Chakra. Therefore according to beliefs this is the location where the Chakra of Lord Vishnu fell and so it is called the Chakra Teertham.
Venugopala Swamy Temple
The Venugopala Swamy Temple is the next sightseeing location here. It is a temple dedicated to Lord Venugopala. It is an important temple in Tirupati and the idol of Sri Sita Ramula Pattabhishekam is a major attraction here.
Akashganga
This is yet another famous sightseeing spot in Tirupati and also holds a lot of religious significance as well. For the Abhishekam of Lord Balaji the holy water from this location is used till date. According to beliefs the main priest of Tirupati Balaji Temple used to travel 6 km away to a location called Papavinasanam to carry holy water for the Abhishekham. However Lord Vishnu was impressed with his devotion and therefore he appeared in front of him to let him know about Akashganga. And till date this location and the holy water is relevant for the rituals of the temple. A lot of tourists also carry this water in small bottles to take them back home.
Papavinasanam
As the name suggests this is a location where one can wash away their sins by bathing in the holy water here. This is the location where previously the main priest of the Balaji Temple used to carry the holy water from.
After you are done with visiting all the sightseeing locations the shared car will drop you at the Tirupati Balaji Temple. And this is the main part of the Tirupati Balaji Temple Travel Guide as you will now visit the temple finally. At first you need to have your lunch here and for that there are a number of restaurants inside the temple premise. But I would recommend you to go for the Anna Prasadam here that you should not miss out on. At the temple there are arrangements for Anna Prasadam for free thrice a day. The breakfast time at the temple is from 9 am to 10:30 am. Then the lunch timings are from 10:30 am to 4 pm. And at night there are meals available from 5 pm to 10:30 pm.
Tirupati Balaji Darshan
After having lunch now it will be the time for the darshan at the temple. There is a popular way of visiting this temple that a lot of devotees follow. The Kesh Daan or donating your hair is one of the major rituals that a lot of devotees follow here. In case you are interested in the whole procedure then first you need to visit the Kalyanakatta building for the Kesh Daan. You will however have to get a token for this procedure here. The Kesh Daan ritual in Tirupati Balaji has been continuing for a very long time now. People from all over the world visit this temple to take part in this ritual here. There are at least 600 barbers here who work here to continue this procedure.
After you are done with the Mundan you will have to reach the north side of the temple to reach the Varahaswamy Temple. According to beliefs you need to visit the Varahaswamy Temple first before visiting the main Balaji Temple. So after a visit to that temple you need to buy a coconut and a diya from the shop here. It will cost you around Rs. 20. Here you need to break the coconut and offer it to God. And then you can carry the rest of the coconut back to your home. Furthermore just light up the diya and stand straight at a distance and do an Aarti of the Tirupati Balaji Temple. When you are done with all these rituals then you will have to stand in the queue for the Special Darshan of the temple.
Darshan Lines
Free Darshan Line – Free
Special Darshan Line- Rs. 300 per person
For the free darshan it would take you around 12 to 15 hours to stand in the line before you can visit the deity. And for special darshan it takes 5 to 6 hours in total. However the time that it will take for the darshan to complete depends largely on the crowd for the day. So it will always be recommended if you can purchase the Special Darshan Ticket in advance.
How to get Special Darshan Tickets?
It is one of the most important things to do before visiting Tirupati and that is to book your tickets. For the Special Darshan Ticket you will have to visit the official website of the temple ttdevasthanams.ap.gov.in.
In the site you will find different latest update information on the right side. And there every month around 15th they publish the Special Darshan Tickets Announcement of Date and Time. On that day itself you will therefore have to complete this process of buying tickets. Log in to the account with your mobile number and you will get to check out the Darshan Slots. You can then choose the date according to your preference here. I would suggest you to go for the evening darshan here as this will be more convenient for a short trip because you will get to visit the sightseeing spots in the morning. And then during the evening you will get to visit this temple peacefully.
You will also need your Aadhar Card details while booking for the Special Darshan. The tickets get filled really fast from the time when they are announced. So make sure you are visiting the site at the correct time and then promptly book the tickets. When I was purchasing the tickets all the tickets got sold out within 15 to 20 minutes only.
With every Special Darshan Ticket they also provide a free ladoo as Prasad. If you want extra ladoo then the cost is Rs. 50 extra per ladoo.
On the day of your darshan you will have to carry the hardcopy of the ticket along with your Aadhar Card to stand in the line.
Special Darshan Process
For the Special Darshan you will have to enter through the Supatham Gate. As the line will proceed you will therefore have to move forward. Furthermore there is one point in the line where the authorities will check the dress and the tickets of each devotee. For male devotees there is a strict dress code of Dhoti, Kurta. Jeans or Pants are not allowed here in the temple. You can either carry your own dhoti along with you. Or else you will also find a shop here selling dhotis at Rs. 200. And for the female devotees the dress code is Sarees and Salwar.
Later you will reach one point of security check where you will have to submit all your gadgets like mobiles and cameras. They will also check your tickets and Aadhar Cards here as well. Moving on, you will reach a large waiting hall where you will have to go and wait. Here you will get facilities like drinking water, washroom along with Prasad. After the darshan you need to visit the ladoo counter and there you will get your pre-booked ladoos. However at the ladoo counter you can also pay an extra amount to buy ladoos to take along with you.
After all of these you will have to go and visit the TTD Luggage Counter to collect your gadgets which you have earlier deposited. And then you can head back to your hotel or guesthouse and the last bus will be available till 11:55 pm at night. You will get shared cars till 12 am at night as well to reach Tirupati from Tirumala Hills. But after that from 12 am to 3 am everything remains closed here so keep that in mind. So try to not be too late after your evening darshan otherwise you will have to wait till 3 am in the temple itself. And with that day 1 comes to an end.
Day 2
On day 2 of Tirupati Balaji Temple Travel Guide you should check out from the hotel and leave your luggage at the hotel store room because on this day you will visit the sightseeing locations at Tirupati. In case you are travelling solo then you can opt for a scooty that you can rent. The rate for a scooty per day would be Rs. 600. Or another option is to visit these spots by bus as well. And if you are travelling in a group then auto rickshaws and cabs are a good option for visiting the sightseeing locations. For an auto the rate would be around Rs. 2000 to Rs. 2500. But if you are taking a cab then the rate would be around Rs. 3000 to Rs. 3500.
Tirupati Tourist Places
1. Govinda Raja Swamy Temple
2. Tirupati ISKCON Temple
3. Kapila Theertham
4. Padmavati Temple
5. Srikalahasteeswara Temple
In case you are travelling to these locations by bus then you can avoid the Srikalahasteeswara Temple. It takes around 3 to 4 hours to reach the temple and then return, so that will take up a lot of time. After all the sightseeing, you should pick up your luggage from the hotel and then you can either take your train or flight according to your preference.
What to Eat?
Next I will move on to the kind of food that you can have here and the budget for food will be low too. On the Day 1 you can simply have the free Prasad at Tirupati Balaji Temple. And on the Day 2 you will need to have lunch outside during your sightseeing. For 3 meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner the cost for food would be around Rs. 400 per person per day.
Tirupati Tour Budget
The next thing about the Tirupati Balaji Temple Travel Guide is the budget and undoubtedly this is an important part of a tour plan.
Solo Traveler
For hotels the price will range for around Rs. 1000 and for food the cost will be Rs. 400 each day which will be Rs. 800 for 2 days. If you are travelling by shared cars then the journey to Tirumala from Tirupati and again coming back will be around Rs. 300. Additionally for Tirumala Sightseeing the cost would be Rs. 200 for a shared cab. Now the Special Darshan Ticket will cost Rs. 300 here. Furthermore on day 2 the local sightseeing in Tirupati would cost Rs. 600 in a scooty and Rs. 200 for petrol. Finally there will be around Rs. 300 extra for entry fee and other expenses.
Total: 1000+ 800+ 300+ 200+ 300+ 800+ 300 = Rs. 3700 (for solo traveler)
But if you are travelling in a group or as a couple then the cost would get divided and will be around Rs. 2700.
Please note I have not included the cost of travelling from your home location to Tirupati in this budget. Also if you reach Tirupati during the prior night then hotel cost will be a little extra that is additional Rs. 1000 along with cost of food for that day.
Wrapping Up!
So that was all about the Tirupati Balaji Temple Travel Guide and I have tried to include almost all important information here. I have tried my best to provide all the necessary information in this article which will help you in planning a trip to Tirupati Balaji Temple. In case you feel I have missed out on any information or if you think there is still something that you need to know then do let me know. So when are you planning a trip to this famous temple in Tirupati? Also let me know if this article on Tirupati Balaji Temple Travel Guide is helpful for you in gathering all the information about a budget trip to this location.
