Stay in Tirumala
Having reached Tirupati with meals taken from Srinivasam complex, the next task was to reach Tirumala and take accommodation in Raghavendra Swamy Mutt. The bus ride lasted a little over 40 minutes. The manager of the said mutt i was in touch from Bangalore and he had promised me accommodation for two to three days. In Raghavendra Swamy Mutt the manager mahesh babu was not to be seen during my arrival and guru rajan from the kitchen department and nara hari from the same mutt i came across. About 20 minutes later the audience with the manager revealed his inability to part with a room and for the dormitory as well the inability impression was largely displayed. As a result had to check in uttaradhi mutt.
The stay was for three days, with the rent having been fixed at 500rs a day. There are other rooms in the mutt as well with fare a little over 100 rs, coming with a common bathroom. On a Friday joined the queue a little after eight in the morning. A little before 12 came to the ticket section. The rush was huge; the best part being there were fewer standstill moments, the crowd movement being registered almost every other minute. There were a series of stairs to be negotiated, all done with the avowed aim of ensuring a seamless movement. After 12, the assembled crowd had been put in different halls. Exit a little after 12.40pm from the hall i am in, the time taken to reach sanctum sanctorum was another 30 odd minutes. Managed to get in and secure a fleeting glimpse of the lord. Came out by 2pm. Nowadays there has been some changes in the queue system as reported in papers where it takes less time and in all there are three lines with pushing and shoving almost absent.
A little before 3.30 went for meals at Tarigonda Vengamamba Nitya Annadana complex. The meals refreshing, the Superintendent happenned to be Raghu with Muni Ramaiah taking charge of CRO complex.The following day got into the queue at railway reservation office to secure a return ticket, the effort yielding a waiting list status. Decided to proceed to Tirupati to figure out the chances by other trains and if not that by air from a distant destination. The cyber cafe in Tirupati is near the bus stand. For flights from Hyderabad and those from Chennai to the national capital, the fare looked reasonable going by on spot booking that generally leaves a big hole in the pocket. But the same fare when tried to reason out with airport officials showed a different price tag. In Tirupati airport, the drinking water meant for public is too hot and there are no water coolers outside. As for those waiting in the cars to ferry passengers and others assembled outside airport the drinking water becomes an issue.
The ride to the airport is taxing and with no public transport, except for one bus which departs at 2pm for tirumala everyday, one has to search for a return transport. Took a lift on a bike and later followed this up with a bus ride. Took meals from Tarigonda Vengamamba Nitya Annadana complex after 3pm. While coming out of the complex came across a young lad wrapped in a dhoti who looked to be tired. Engaging in a conversation he revealed to be tired and was preoccupied with thoughts on things to do while entering the complex. Haling from Bangalore, the boy seemed to convey the rush inside the temple had sapped him of the energy that each day brings with. There was another gentleman hailing from Mandya or Shimoga who said the Lord of Tirumala was his home god and he visited the place every month.
On a Sunday got into the queue by 6.40 am and was able to get a return ticket by Duronto meant for next day. Left Tirumala by 10 pm. It is advisable that to get a bus seat for Chennai one should book in advance from Balaji Station. While coming to Tirumala from Tirupati, a share taxi ride would be advisable. Similarly if there could be shared taxi ride from Tirumala/Tirupati to Chennai it would be handy for devotees. Having reached Chennai a little after 2am, the benching arrangement next to 6a platform is noteworthy. The ride on Duronto wasn't good; the relaxed template could only be availed once i had a change of seat. Those seated next to you could well be an anthropologist, scientist, scribewallah, someone who is good to talk at and surely disposed to hygiene surroundings. A berth with a large number of occupants is acceptable if things are within limits On a ride from Ajmer in the month of March, there were a series of vacant berths, probably to do with fewer willing to take the train on that particular day
The stay in Tirumala was ok with meals from Tarigonda Vengamamba Nityta Anandana complex proving to be an enrighing experience. The four streets have an aura of their own. Came across Chandra, the paper vendor near the STD booth which is run by R Anadan. The tea from an outlet near Lepakshi seem to carry different price tags at different hours, with other vendors too charging over rs 7. Rs 7 should be the desired rate and for soaps like medimix which come for 3 rs, the asking rate at places were above six or seven. Similarly other necessities too could have been overcharged and the brunt being borne by common pilgrims. As for those with an i card, the accommodation in TTD rooms/cottages should be considered. Tirumala one can stay for two to three days if accommodation at reasonable rates can be provided.
Having reached Tirupati with meals taken from Srinivasam complex, the next task was to reach Tirumala and take accommodation in Raghavendra Swamy Mutt. The bus ride lasted a little over 40 minutes. The manager of the said mutt i was in touch from Bangalore and he had promised me accommodation for two to three days. In Raghavendra Swamy Mutt the manager mahesh babu was not to be seen during my arrival and guru rajan from the kitchen department and nara hari from the same mutt i came across. About 20 minutes later the audience with the manager revealed his inability to part with a room and for the dormitory as well the inability impression was largely displayed. As a result had to check in uttaradhi mutt.
The stay was for three days, with the rent having been fixed at 500rs a day. There are other rooms in the mutt as well with fare a little over 100 rs, coming with a common bathroom. On a Friday joined the queue a little after eight in the morning. A little before 12 came to the ticket section. The rush was huge; the best part being there were fewer standstill moments, the crowd movement being registered almost every other minute. There were a series of stairs to be negotiated, all done with the avowed aim of ensuring a seamless movement. After 12, the assembled crowd had been put in different halls. Exit a little after 12.40pm from the hall i am in, the time taken to reach sanctum sanctorum was another 30 odd minutes. Managed to get in and secure a fleeting glimpse of the lord. Came out by 2pm. Nowadays there has been some changes in the queue system as reported in papers where it takes less time and in all there are three lines with pushing and shoving almost absent.
A little before 3.30 went for meals at Tarigonda Vengamamba Nitya Annadana complex. The meals refreshing, the Superintendent happenned to be Raghu with Muni Ramaiah taking charge of CRO complex.The following day got into the queue at railway reservation office to secure a return ticket, the effort yielding a waiting list status. Decided to proceed to Tirupati to figure out the chances by other trains and if not that by air from a distant destination. The cyber cafe in Tirupati is near the bus stand. For flights from Hyderabad and those from Chennai to the national capital, the fare looked reasonable going by on spot booking that generally leaves a big hole in the pocket. But the same fare when tried to reason out with airport officials showed a different price tag. In Tirupati airport, the drinking water meant for public is too hot and there are no water coolers outside. As for those waiting in the cars to ferry passengers and others assembled outside airport the drinking water becomes an issue.
The ride to the airport is taxing and with no public transport, except for one bus which departs at 2pm for tirumala everyday, one has to search for a return transport. Took a lift on a bike and later followed this up with a bus ride. Took meals from Tarigonda Vengamamba Nitya Annadana complex after 3pm. While coming out of the complex came across a young lad wrapped in a dhoti who looked to be tired. Engaging in a conversation he revealed to be tired and was preoccupied with thoughts on things to do while entering the complex. Haling from Bangalore, the boy seemed to convey the rush inside the temple had sapped him of the energy that each day brings with. There was another gentleman hailing from Mandya or Shimoga who said the Lord of Tirumala was his home god and he visited the place every month.
On a Sunday got into the queue by 6.40 am and was able to get a return ticket by Duronto meant for next day. Left Tirumala by 10 pm. It is advisable that to get a bus seat for Chennai one should book in advance from Balaji Station. While coming to Tirumala from Tirupati, a share taxi ride would be advisable. Similarly if there could be shared taxi ride from Tirumala/Tirupati to Chennai it would be handy for devotees. Having reached Chennai a little after 2am, the benching arrangement next to 6a platform is noteworthy. The ride on Duronto wasn't good; the relaxed template could only be availed once i had a change of seat. Those seated next to you could well be an anthropologist, scientist, scribewallah, someone who is good to talk at and surely disposed to hygiene surroundings. A berth with a large number of occupants is acceptable if things are within limits On a ride from Ajmer in the month of March, there were a series of vacant berths, probably to do with fewer willing to take the train on that particular day
The stay in Tirumala was ok with meals from Tarigonda Vengamamba Nityta Anandana complex proving to be an enrighing experience. The four streets have an aura of their own. Came across Chandra, the paper vendor near the STD booth which is run by R Anadan. The tea from an outlet near Lepakshi seem to carry different price tags at different hours, with other vendors too charging over rs 7. Rs 7 should be the desired rate and for soaps like medimix which come for 3 rs, the asking rate at places were above six or seven. Similarly other necessities too could have been overcharged and the brunt being borne by common pilgrims. As for those with an i card, the accommodation in TTD rooms/cottages should be considered. Tirumala one can stay for two to three days if accommodation at reasonable rates can be provided.
Thank you very much for your post. It’s pretty interesting. I appreciate your blogs and look forward for your next blog.
ReplyDelete