Tirumala Tirupati Trip

Last week went to Tirumala Tirupati on a two day trip along with grandparents, parents and cousin, the same as the team on journey to Palani in previous post. We begin leisurely after sunrise than the usual early morning drive; it was though Tiruvallur, Thiruthani and Tirupati which was a two way national highways with some better views of hills, passing lengthy goods train which could be nearly 2km long in two pulling engines and the road lead has many curves and bends.

As nearing Nagari we get to see a peak from distance which I later come to know as Nagari Nose – as it resembles the shape of nose, the peak is a cliff off Chittoor district of Andhra is used as a light house in olden days as a signal to Bay of Bengal. The day was very hot indeed and getting near and climbing the hill was much heater. After getting checked in the tollgate at foothill Tirupati, we are diverted to take the downhill road which took some more time and difficult in reaching the Tirumala by noon.

The downhill road has more the 40 hairpin bends and taking the same road to climb up and down got vehicles disturbed wherever to stop and leave way for either vehicles. It took 14 years for me, mom and grandpa to visit the Tirupati-Tirumala – which remark the epic story of Rama return from forest after 14 years, the last time we visited was along with our late uncle and it was grandpa’s wish to visit tirumala at least for once. As a travels driver then, my grandpa had visited Tirumala-Tirupati immense times and often regularly, he’s familiar about this place and even due to old age he could recall certain about his travels.

After enquiring at the administrative office knowing that taking a room under the temple authority would need an hour to stand in queue, we hire a broker who led us to a private cottage with needed facilities, we settled for Hotel Woodside, run by Karnataka govt. We are well content by the comfort room in ground floor and attached restaurant helped us in reduce weariness, and after our lunch we decided to go for Papavinasam knowing that the next darshan (vision) time was by 6pm.

Papavinasam is about 10km from temple town towards north, which lead through thick bushes is a must passage for enjoying pleasant nature and clean air. On the way we stopped at Gogarbham Dam for a best nature viewing lake and forest behind and the windmills on the other side of the hill is visible clearly and nearly from here. Adjacent to the dam has a small garden and not to mention about, it has a statue of Krishna on the five header snake and it’s a place to relax sometime watching the windmills rotate.

The Papavinasam is a dam come artificial waterfall constructed beside a wall to provide holy water to devotees always after dismissing the diminish nature holy waterfall here. Beside the steps, a ramp lead to the water fall helped me to go on wheels to the gate of the dam and lookdown the water fall where grand-parents took the water and sprinkled on the head. On the way it was interesting to see two very little monkeys which behaviors are similar to kids and a real kid visiting the falls was so excited seeing the monkeys but sadly it was chained to a man’s hand who beg for money showing the monkeys.

The way back we passed the Aakasa Ganga waterfall and a temple, leads stairways to destination want us to avoid both the place and back to room. The sun was shining brightly way back peeking through the trees and it was by 6pm parents left us (me, grandpa and cousins) at room and went for checking with special queue to be back in couple of hours after darshan, but the chance has been dismissed for them as the special counters where closed to open only next day, parents back to room to later go for free darshan at night.

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