- Deity
- Lord Venkateswara
- Footpath steps
- About 3,550 (Alipiri), 2,400 (Srivari Mettu)
- Nearest railway station
- Tirupati Main, about 26 km
- Nearest airport
- Tirupati, about 40 km
- Main festival
- Brahmotsavam
The temple and its deity
The temple is built in the Dravidian style and has been endowed by ruling dynasties for many centuries. Pilgrims pass through the outer courtyard with its gopuram, then through the Silver Entrance into the Sampangi Prakaram, and finally through the Golden Entrance to the sanctum. The standing idol of Lord Venkateswara is about nine feet tall, guarded at the door by copper figures of Jaya and Vijaya.
A small silver idol, Bhoga Srinivasa, receives many of the daily rituals on behalf of the main deity, and the processional idol, Malayappa Swamy, is taken out during festivals.
Climbing the hill
A ghat road takes buses and cars to the top, but many devotees walk. The Alipiri footpath has about 3,550 steps over roughly 11 km and is covered most of the way. The shorter Srivari Mettu route has about 2,400 steps. Start early, carry water and wear comfortable footwear.
Rituals and offerings
Worship follows the Vaikhanasa Agama, with rituals from about 2:30 am until past midnight, starting with Suprabhata Seva and with Thomala Seva, Archana and Kalyanotsavam among the daily services. Bookings for sevas, darshan and accommodation are made through the official Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams website.
The Tirupati laddu is the best-known prasadam, and free meals are served to very large numbers of pilgrims daily. Many devotees offer their hair at the tonsuring halls. Brahmotsavam is the biggest festival of the year and draws huge crowds.
Other sights on the hill
- Silathoranam, a rare natural rock arch of great geological age
- Srivari Padalu, footprints associated with the Lord
- Papavinasanam, a sacred water body
- Akasa Ganga waterfall
- Sri Venkateswara Museum
How to reach
Tirupati Airport is about 40 km from the temple and has domestic flights; Chennai, around 160 km away, is the nearest international airport. Tirupati Main railway station, about 26 km from the temple, has trains from most major cities. Free buses run on the hill. We can arrange cars from Chennai and Bengaluru and help with darshan planning.
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