Trip to Tirupati

Alas! We could travel as a family to Tirupati last Sunday, after 25 years (our sons were just 10 months old then).

Hired an Indica for a day.
Early morning the motor pump in our flats' conked off so we had to start off an hour later yet we were determined to make it.
The driver and all four of us had a breakfast of 2 Idlis and 1 Vada at Hotel Akshaya, Thiruvallur.

At the car park, a broker materilized from nowhere offering quick darshan at Rs.600 per person. We said not much rush so we will go for the Rs.300 per person, darshan. He cursed us saying it will take us more than 7 hours to see the lord. We said, so be it and proceeded.

We went along a long-winding Rs.300/- special Q. Enroute bought the special darshan ticket. After a while we were led into a large chamber which resembled a stadium with wide granite steps and people were seated here and there on those steps.
The capacity could easily have been between 300 to 400 people per chamber.
I could see 2 wide gates locked, at either ends of the chamber and solid grills separating the chamber from the common corridor. There were many chambers like this one.
We could see the previous chamber full of people pour into the common corridor, once one of the gates of that chamber was opened. There was a mad rush of people to get into the common corridor. From then on, it was pure jostling and pushing forward until one reached the sanctum sanctorum to have the lord's darshan. People were crowding everywhere without any sense of discipline or direction. Jumping Qs and jumping lines were common sights.
Thankfully only one chamber was opened at a time to allow all people inside to pour into the corridor. Yet I was afraid of another stampede taking place, a la Sabari at Tirupati too.

The air was so full with the aroma of clarified butter which is used to prepare the famed Tirupati laddus and those wonderful cooked rice delights.
Since it was 1pm and the gates of our chamber still locked up, we could hear the loud rattling of trolleys in the common corridor. Big vessels carrying piping hot food had arrived. The volunteers got out paper plates and ladled out sambar rice and pushed it through the grills onto eager hands onto our side. As soon as plates full of food were thrust, hands appeared and disappeared quickly.
Many inside the chamber ate this free lunch. The facilities provided by the temple is really thoughtful. There is a wash basin, a number of toilets and a kiosk selling soft drinks, coffee-tea, roasted nuts, etc. all along the numerous chambers.

There was a digital display indicating the time it will take to have darshan.
The display showed 3 hours as the time, we are expected to wait in the Q even though there was not so much rush that day.

There were pious outbursts of Govinda, Govinda from the crowd from time to time.

There were the usual fights, bad mouthing, sudden peals of laughter, cries of pain and so many languages being spoken. It was very entertaining to be part of it all even if it were for 3 hours!

Just before the main entrance, there was free flow of water to wash the feet of anyone entering inside the temple. This is a nice concept, otherwise there is no way one can break that Q and go to wash feet and then rejoin for darshan.

Finally after a lot of ups and downs and walking on sloped, slippery wooden ramps, concrete, marble, granite floor surfaces, we were suddenly in front of the lord only to be shoved by the security guards there, asking us to move on fast so that others also could have darshan of the lord.

Once out, a volunteer thrust a mini laddu in our outstretched hands, which was the prasadam for that time of the day.

Then another round of struggle, this time to get out of the temple.

We shopped for the famed wooden dolls (of a man and woman) and a few artificial flower garlands for my friend and a specific picture of lord Krishna and a mould of the gopuram at Tirupati with small lights for my mother.

From there we went to see Goddess Padmavathi at Thirchanoor. I kept up with the chanting the Mahalakshmi Ashtakam right from Chennai itself. The aroma of pure ghee was all over this place too. After the darshan of the divine mother, we got on to the prasadam Q which was not so crowded. That day they served us a small portion of ghee rice which was lightly salted and peppered. It was such a divine and tasty prasadam. We were all feeling the pangs of hunger for so many hours too.

Once out of the temple, we headed straight to a simple wayside vegetarian restaurant. We had masala dosa and good strong coffee. Made a parcel of dosa for our driver who was waiting outside for us.
I told him to take us to the local vegetable market. Found there were no markets, only carts stocking vegetables on the roadsides. I shopped for typical Andhra vegetables like the dondakkai, budummakkai, avvarakkai, butter beans, allam and vannkkailu! while the driver ate his late lunch at 7.30pm!
Searched high and low for pure cow's ghee but could not find any. Should have asked at Tirupati itself. Later came to know that it is available in a shop near Hotel Vishnu Priya at Tirupati.
Next time I shall remember to buy the pure cow's ghee there.

Quite a longish post. Sorry about that!

Mahalakshmi.