Tirumala Venkateswara Swamy Temple - Lord Balaji Temple in Tirupati

One of the most famous and visited temples in India is Sri Venkateswara Temple, also known as Tirupati Balaji Temple, located in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

Every year the temple attracts millions of devotees from all over India and around the world who come to offer their prayers and seek blessings from Lord Balaji.

Tirumala Gopuaram Front View 

The temple is located on the Seven Hills of Tirumala and is known for its prasadam, which is considered to be a sacred offering from the Lord.

A visit to the Sri Venkateswara Temple is a rich and spiritual experience that allows visitors to immerse themselves in the rich culture and traditions of India.

Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple Info:

Deity	Lord Balaji (Venkateswara)
Date Built	300 AD
District	Chittoor
State	Andhra Pradesh
Architecture	Dravidian Architecture
Alipiri Steps	3550 Steps
Pincode	517504

Lord Venkateswara Swamy, who is also called as Lord Srinivasa or Balaji is the main presiding deity of this ancient historic temple.

Tirumala Entrance Welcome Arch

About Tirumala Balaji Temple:

Lord Balaji - Tirumala

Tirumala is a holy hill town consisting of seven peaks representing Lord Adiseshu, thus earning the famous name of Seshachalam.

Tirumala temple lies on the seventh peak named Venkatadri. The temple is located in hill town of Tirumala at Tirupati city in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh State.

 

Tirumala Hill View

Interesting Facts about Tirumala:

Goddess Padmavathi - Tiruchanur 

Tirumala Balaji temple is one of the most visited richest temples in the world. Everyday Lord Venkateswara Swamy Idol is decorated with Dhoti at the bottom and with a Saree at the top.

A small waterfall exists behind the main idol of Balaji. All flowers and items used in the main sanctum are discarded in this waterfall only which emerges at Yerpedu which is at a distance of roughly 11.3 KM from Sri Kalahasti.

The glory of Lord Venkateswara Swamy reached its peak during the Vijayanagara period.

The great Vijayanagara ruler Sri Krishna Devaraya visited the sacred shine seven times during his region, along with his consorts.

Also Read: Chilkur Balaji Temple

Even today, visitors can see the statues of Krishna Devaraya and his consorts placed in the temple at the portals.

In Varaha Purana, it is mentioned that in Treta Yuga, Lord Rama along with Goddess Sita and Laxmana came here on his return journey from Lankapuri.

Approximately, 150,000 Laddus [Prasadam] are made every day and has a Global patent.

Akhilandam Tirumala

Asthana Mandapam in Tirumala

Garudadri Vanam-Tirumala

Sree Radhakrishna Temple-Tirumala

Arjitha Sevas in Srivari Temple:

Daily Sevas:

1. 🌻 Suprabhatam
2. 🌼 Thomala Seva
3. 🌻 Archana
4. 🌼 Kalyanotsavam
5. 🌻 Arjita Brahmotsavam
6. 🌼 Unjal seva (Dolotsavam)
7. 🌻 Sahasra Deepalankara Seva
8. 🌼 Vasanthotsavam
9. 🌻 Ekanta Seva

Weekly Sevas:

1. 🌼 Visesha Seva
2. 🌻 Ashtadalapada Padmaradhana
3. 🌼 Sahasra Kalasabhishekam
4. 🌻 Thiruppavada Seva
5. 🌼 Abhishekam - Carried out to Lord Balaji every Friday in the early morning.
6. 🌻 Nijapada Darshanam - Every Friday devotees can worship the sacred feet of Lord Srinivasa which will take place after Abhishekam.

Periodical Sevas:

1. 🌻 Float Festival
2. 🌼 Vasanthotsavam
3. 🌻 Padmavati Parinayam
4. 🌼 Pushpa Pallaki
5. 🌻 Pushpa Yagam
6. 🌼 Abhidheyaka Abhishekam
7. 🌻 Pavitrotsavam
8. 🌼 Koil Alwar Tirumanjanam

Note: Some seva's are cancelled during the festival period.

Tirumala Gopuram View at Night

Kalyanakatta (Tonsuring Areas):

Most pilgrims who visited the Tirumala Balaji temple usually make a vow to offer their hair and TTD has established 19 Kalyanakattas in various places in Tirumala.

Tirumala Srivari Pushkarini-Swami Pushkarini

 
However, the main Kalyanakatta is located opposite the old Anna Prasadam complex and offers the free tonsuring facility.

Attractions in Tirumala:

1. 👉 Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple
2. 👉 Sri Bedi Anjaneya Swamy Temple
3. 👉 Sri Bhu Varaha Swamy Temple
4. 👉 Swami Pushkarini
5. 👉 Papa Vinashanam
6. 👉 Akshaganga Waterfall
7. 👉 Shila Thoranam (Geological Arch)
8. 👉 Ashthana Mandapam (Sadan Hall)
9. 👉 Chakra Theertham
10. 👉 Vaikunta Tirtham
11. 👉 T.T.D. Gardens
12. 👉 S.V. Museum and Meditation Centres
13. 👉 Narayanagiri Padalu
14. 👉 Tumbura Tirtham

Attractions in Tirupathi:

1. 👉 Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple - Tirupati
2. 👉 Sri Kapileswara Swamy Temple (Kapila Theertham) - Near Alipiri, Tirupati
3. 👉 Srivari Padalamandapam
4. 👉 Ghat Road Vinayaka Swamy Temple
5. 👉 Sri Kodanda Ramaswamy Temple - Tirupati railway station
6. 👉 Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple - Srinivasa Mangapuram
7. 👉 Sri Veda Narayana Swamy Temple- Nagalapuram
8. 👉 Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy Temple - Appalayagunta
9. 👉 Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple - Karvetinagaram
10. 👉 Sri Kodanda Rama Temple - Valmikipuram, Vayalpadu
11. 👉 Sri Kalayana Venkateswara Swamy Temple - Narayanavanam
12. 👉 Sri Maha Lakshmi Ammavari Temple (Golden Temple) - Sripuram, Vellore
13. 👉 Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple (Alimelumangapuram) - Tiruchanur
14. 👉 Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy Temple - Kanipakam

Tiruchanur Temple:

Tiruchanur or Alamelu Mangapuram Padmavati Temple:

Alamelu Mangapuram or Tiruchanoor Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple is at a distance of approximately 5 km from Tirupati.

The mother Goddess is the consort of Lord Venkateshwara Swamy (Balaji).

How to Reach Tirumala Temple:

The temple town of Tirupati is well-connected by Road, Rail and Air networks and can be easily reached from all popular cities in India like Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Tirumala Nambi Sannidhi

Tirumala Temple View at Night

 

TTD Kala Vedika- Tirumala

Pilgrims can reach Tirupati by road, bus or train network and from there they can choose to reach Tirumala by road or can climb the hill on foot from Alipiri Junction.

By Road: 🚗

From Tirupati, Tirumala temple is roughly 20 KM away via Tirumala Ghat road.

APSRTC run frequent free buses from Tirupati Railway Station (TPTY) to Alipiri for the sake of pilgrims who intend walk up the hill and reach Tirumala to complete their Venkanna Mokku.

Also, many APSRTC Buses, Jeeps and Pre-paid Taxis directly ply to Tirumala hills.

Please note that Buses and other transport vehicles are not permitted to ply on the Ghat road between 12 AM and 3 AM.

The total journey takes around 1 hour and APSRTC is providing frequent buses every 15 minutes for Tirumala.

By Train: 🚅

Tirumala doesn’t have any direct railway station. So, pilgrims need to come to Tirupati first which at a distance of 26 km and is well-connected with all major cities across India. From there, pilgrims can easily reach Tirumala on road.

By Air: ✈️

The nearest domestic airport to reach Lord Balaji Tirumala temple is located at Renigunta. This town is at a distance of about 12 km [23 min] from Tirupati.

Renigunta Airport has direct flights from Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Visakhapatnam and Delhi. Plans are going on to make it an International Airport in near future.

Free Food Facility at Tirumala:

Tarigonda Vengamamba Annadhana Satram offers free Annadhana facility for all pilgrims of Lord Venkateshwara Swamy.

Tarigonda Vengamamba Anna Prasadam Center

This Annadanam complex was named after the divine lady Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba born at a small village called Tarigonda in 1730.

She was a good poet and loyal devotee of Lord Balaji who wrote many poems and songs praising the divine God.

Tasty food is served to all devotees and is neatly maintained and run by TTD. This new food complex consists of 4 large halls, each having around 1000 seats and offering tasty south Indian meals to pilgrims at a time.

This new facility is also offering Roti and sabji for the devotees coming from the north.

Pilgrims can also make generous donation for this trust and get the divine blessings of Lord Balaji.

Annadhana Satram Timings:

Breakfast: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Lunch: 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Dinner: 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM

New Dress Code Rule at Tirumala:

Recently, TTD has introduced the traditional dress code system for both men and women to enhance the spiritual atmosphere among devotees.

For Men: Dhoti and Shirt / Kurta and Pyjama
For Women: Sari/Half-Sari with blouse / Chudidar and Pyjama with Duppatta (Upper cloth).

Accommodation at Tirumala - Room Booking:

TTD is offering good accommodation facility at Tirumala and one can easily book their rooms at -

1. 🔆 Sri Padmavathi Guest House
2. 🔆 Sri Venkateswara Guest House
3. 🔆 VarahaSwami Guest House

Marriage Halls and Cottages:

For room rates visit: www.tirumala.org/marriagehallcotteges.aspx

There are many Choultries that offer free accommodation at Tirumala. Pilgrims can also use the Dormitory halls offered by TTD.

For more information on accommodation facilities, pilgrims can contact the Central Reception Office located near Tirumala bus stop.

Please share your valuable opinions in the comment section and encourage us to write more temple related articles.

Related: Richest and Famous Temples of India

Frequently Asked Questions:

Lord Balaji

How Far is Tirumala from Tirupati?

Tirumala, the holy temple town of Lord Balaji, is only 22 km away from Tirupati. You can easily reach the temple by bus, jeep or taxi.

How many steps you need to climb from Alipiri to Tirumala?

There are about 3550 steps to climb with a length of about 9 km to reach Tirumala on foot from Alipiri. This is the most used route to climb to Tirumala.

Alipiri Mettu is open 24 hours and TTD operates free buses from Tirupati Railway station, T.T.D Cottage and Bus Stand to Alipiri for pilgrims.

What is the nearest airport to reach Tirumala?

The nearest international airport connecting Tirupati is Chennai International Airport (IATA: MAA), about 148 km from Tirupati.

Tirumala Balaji Temple Route Map: