As is the case with most of the people, I too wanted to visit Tirumala for the calmness of mind one experiences through the darshan of Lord Balaji. After the stressful times of the past year, it was much needed. The relatively less number of crowds was also one of the many reasons making people rush for the limited tickets. I wanted to go for a quick darshan and return in a single day.
My journey began from Visakhapatnam and since I was traveling solo, I booked a ticket in the overnight train and reached Renigunta early in the morning. As soon as one gets out of the railway station, one will find a large number of autos as well as signboards giving directions to the bus station. Buses are always safe when traveling solo and hence I decided to take a bus to Tirupati. It was just a 20 min ride to Tirupati railway station (the hotel I booked was near the station). Also, direct buses are available to Tirumala and the frequency of buses is very good.
After getting rid of the weariness of travel by freshening up and having a quick breakfast, I decided to head to the Padmavati ammavari temple. My Tirumala darshan slot was at 2:30 PM and thus I had a plenty of time. Many autos, as well as buses, are available to Tiruchanur. However, when one is traveling solo, taking a bus is preferable. The charges of autos are on the higher side. Traveling by bus is convenient as well as affordable. However, if time is a constraint, then one can prefer autos. The buses will be available near the pushkarini and one can easily get there by asking for directions.
I hopped onto a bus and reached Tiruchanur in less than thirty minutes. The temple is a huge one and rooms for depositing footwear and electronics are available (phones are not allowed inside the temple). One can either opt for a free darshan or buy a ticket. Since I was running out of time, I bought a ticket. The darshan didn’t take long and after the darshan I quickly collected my phone and footwear. Buses to Tirupati were readily available and I took one to Tirupati. After reaching Tirupati, I decided to rest for an hour in the hotel before proceeding for Tirumala.
While traveling to Tirumala, I preferred the bus again. It’s advisable to take a to and fro ticket since it saves a lot of time. After the usual check at Alipiri, my journey towards the holy abode finally started. It was a great experience visiting Tirumala after such a long time.
I reached the queue line an hour before. However, I was allowed to go for the darshan. The darshan was one of the quickest I ever had. It just took 25 minutes. Since the crowd was limited, the darshan happened to be a pleasant one. After having the prasad, I quickly collected my belongings and caught the return bus.
I packed my belongings and checked out from the hotel. After finishing my dinner in one of the many well-known restaurants just opposite the station (by the way, I skipped my lunch), I caught my return train.
That was how I ended my short little trip to one of my favorite places.
Must-try: Pongal, Upma, and filter coffee
Travel Diary 