Knowing some valuable information while planning for a trip to Tirumala and Tirupati would give you a peaceful hearty hassle-free pilgrim experience. This guide would give you all details regarding accommodations to darshan booking information, you can get all the important and valuable details below.
Tirumala Accommodation
In Tirumala, an accommodation facility is provided by Tirumala Tirupati devasthanam (TTD). There are various guest houses and choultries. With an ample number of rooms, accommodation for about two lakh devotees is provided daily. The accommodation is available only for 24 hours.
In Tirumala, accommodation is provided only by TTD, no other third-party accommodations are available there. The cost for rooms ranges from Rs.100 to Rs.5000. But even free accommodation can be availed at Tirumala. Families can stay in several sizable choultries that offer free rooms at a respectable level of comfort. Free water and electricity are available. In Tirumala, TTD provides many dormitory halls where pilgrims can rest free of charge.
TTD Online Rooms Booking In Tirumala
The most convenient way to make a reservation for accommodation in Tirumala is online. The TTD Online website can be used to make a reservation for the accommodations. The online booking quota receives 50% of the rooms, and the spot booking quota receives the remaining 50%. Without a valid darshan ticket, one cannot book accommodation at Tirumala.
For online booking of accommodations, you can select the room type—whether AC or non-AC—and the price. Prices for the rooms start at Rs. 100. in the following denominations: 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 5000. Based on your preferences, you can choose. Single people and unmarried couples will not be given rooms. Once you make a reservation, a room will be given to you depending on availability for that specific date. Each room comes with a matching cautionary deposit and is only available for 24 hours.
If you cannot book a place to stay well in advance, you can book when you get to Tirumala. During busy times, though, this procedure will be done by a lot of people. Once you get to Tirumala, you can book a place to stay right there. When you get to Tirumala, you can go to the CRO office and book a place to stay based on what you want. The rooms will be given out starting at 6:00 AM, and there will be a long line of people waiting. The doors will stay open until all the rooms are taken. So, it is better to book online in advance. On the official website of TTD, https://tirupatibalaji.ap.gov.in online booking can be done for both Tirumala and Tirupati.
Details Regarding The Accommodations In Tirumala
| Name | Place | Charges per day per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Padmavathi Guest House | With A/C: | |
| Bela Kuteeram | Rs. 500 | |
| Gayatri Sadan | Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2500 | |
| Godavari Sadan | Rs. 1000 | |
| Gumble Guest House | Rs. 500 | |
| Gokulam Guest House | Rs. 1000 | |
| Hari Sadan Guest House | Rs. 1500 | |
| Indira Guest House | Rs. 2000 | |
| Lakshmi Nilayam | Rs. 500 & Rs.600 | |
| Rajyalakshmi Guest House | Rs. 1000 to Rs.2000 | |
| Santhi Sadan | Rs. 500 | |
| Snehalatha Sadan | Rs. 1500 to Rs.2500 | |
| Sriniketan | Rs. 1500 to Rs.2500 | |
| Srinivasa Nilayam | Rs. 2500 & Rs.3000 | |
| Without A/C: | ||
| Gayatri Sadan | Rs.1000 | |
| Jagannda Bhavan | Rs.500 | |
| Vidya Sadan | Rs.1000 | |
| Sri Venkateswara Guest House | Sri Venkateswara Guest House Suits | Rs.100 & Rs.150 |
| Special Type Cottages | Rs.600 to Rs. 750 | |
| Travelers Bungalow Cottages | Rs.400 | |
| Narayanagiri Guest Houses | Rs.100 & Rs.150 | |
| Srivari Kuteer Guest House | Rs.2000 for the entire guest house | |
| Surapuram Thota Cottages | Rs.250 | |
| TBC-Travellers Bungalow Cottages | Ram Bagicha Guest House | Rs. 100 |
| Seshadri Nagar Cottages | Rs. 15 | |
| Hill View Cottages | Rs. 15 | |
| Alwar Tank Cottages | Rs. 50 | |
| Valley View Cottages | Rs. 75 | |
| SRM Kalyana Mandapam | For one day starting time from 15:00 Hrs | Rs. 1000 |
TTD Online Rooms Booking In Tirupati
TTD provides various accommodation facilities even in Tirupati. There are several TTD-owned guest houses and choultries. The details are as follows:
| Place | Location | Charges per day | Contact No. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Srinivasam Complex | Opposite to Tirupati R.T.C. Bus Stand | Without A/C | With A/C. | A/C Deluxe | 0877-2264541 |
| RS. 200 | Rs. 400 | Rs. 600 | |||
| Madhavam Guest House | Next to Srinivasam Complex | - | Rs. 800 | Rs. 1000 | 0877-2264541 |
| Sri Venkateswara Dharmasala | Opposite to Railway Station, Tirupati | Single Room | Double Room | Four-Bed Facility | |
| - | Rs. 800 | Rs. 1000 | 0877-2225144 | ||
| Sri Govindaraja Dharmasala | Behind Railway Station, Tirupati | Room | Rs. 50 | 090888 03616 | |
| Locker Facility | Free | ||||
| Sri Kodanda rama Swamy Dharmasala | North to East Railway Station, Tirupati | Room | Rs. 50 | 0877-20991 | |
| Locker Facility | Free | ||||
| Sri Venkateswara Guest House | North side of the Railway Station, Tirupati | Single Room | Rs. 50 | 0877-2264507 |
Tirumala Darshan Online Tickets
Sarva Darshan is free for all the pilgrims of Tirumala. Online bookings can be done in the official portal of TTD, by checking the available slots. Tickets for Tirumala darshan can be booked online through the official portal of TTD, Internet Booking https://tirupatibalaji.ap.gov.in, and the bookings can be done from India Post Offices too. Every month’s online quota is released in the last week. It is known as Seeghra Darshan. The price of the ticket is Rs.300, and for every ticket, a Laddu Prasadam is given without any cost. The booking portal is available 24*7. For booking tickets for darshans as well as different Sevas in Tirumala, the following steps are to be followed.
- Go to the official website of TTD.
- On the home page click Online Bookings.
- Create an account for yourself in the TTD portal using your Email ID and a valid password and submit it.
- You will receive a confirmation e-mail and subsequently upload the form for online ticket booking with the necessary documents as required.
- Pay the amount through any card or Net banking.
- Get the payment receipt in PDF form
- Take a hard copy of it and tender it at the time of darshan for verification.
Tirumala Darshan Offline Tickets –
Tickets for Tirumala Darshan can be obtained offline at Tirumala.
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Sarva Darshan
For Sarva Darshan, pilgrims must go through the queue in the Vaikuntam Queue Complex, which is a chain of compartmented halls that takes us to the temple. From November 1st of 2022, TTD has again started the Slot system by providing tokens for Sarva Darshan. The tokens can be collected daily.
At Tirumala:
- CRO Office
- Tirumala RTC Bus Stand
- Kousthubam Guest House
- Nandakam Guest House
- Srivari Mettu Final Steps
At Tirupathi:
- Alipiri Footpath
- Vishnuvasam Pilgrim Centre
- Bhudevi Complex
- Srinivasam Complex
- Govindaraja Satralu
On weekdays except for Monday around 15,000 pilgrims are allowed through Sarva Darshan and on weekends and Mondays around 25000 pilgrims avail of the tokens. The TTD provides free Laddu Prasadam (one number) for every token which can be collected at the Ladoo Complex by tendering the token.
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Special Darshan
Offline tickets can also be bought at Tirumala and Tirupati by paying Rs.300. In Srinivasam Complex the ticket counters will be available based on the crowd level. During weekends and festival occasions tickets may not be available there.
Divya Darshan
Divya Darshan tickets are provided to pilgrims who walk through the steps to reach Tirumala. TTD provides a special darshan to those pilgrims who reach Tirumala by foot, and tokens that would enable them to finish their darshan in less time. The tokens for Divya Darshan are free and can be obtained in both pathways. To avail of this facility, pilgrims should reach the Vaikuntam complex as per the timings allotted. Aadhaar Card which is mandatory for all pilgrims. The token is issued on a biometric basis. So, the tickets are not transferable.
If one reaches Tirumala by Alipiri Mettu way, he would have climbed around 3550 steps and covered nine kilometers. The footpath opens daily by four o’clock in the morning and remains open till night up to ten.
If opted for the Srivari footpath, the steps to be climbed is 2388 and it covers around 2.1 kilometers. This footpath is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. For the convenience of the pilgrims who climb the hill on foot, TTD provides some facilities. Pilgrims need not carry their luggage. They can deposit it in the Luggage deposit centers at both footpaths and collect them in Tirumala.
VIP Break Darshan
- This facility is available for VIPs with protocol and even VIPs without protocol too. No need for online booking for VIP Break Darshan. The VIPs can send faxes to the JEO Office, Tirumala. The Devasthanam would do the necessary arrangements. The VIP tickets are of three categories.
- L1 is the first category in which the President, Prime Minister, Union, and State Ministers, and Judges can avail of the facility. During the time of L1 VIPs Darshan, a Higher official of TTD like a board member or Chairman should accompany them.
- L2 is the next category in which Tirumala Devasthanam Employees and those who get recommendation letters from those who are in the L1 category.
- L3 is the category in which pilgrims have recommendation letters from MPs, MLAs, and other VIPs of the L1 and L2 categories.
- Even the public can avail of this by donating to Srivani Trust and getting VIP break darshan tickets. People who give donations with the minimum amount of Rs.10,000 can avail of one ticket, and an individual can get 9 tickets by giving the maximum allowed amount of Rs.99,999. To avail of these tickets online, after remitting the donations, go to TTD’s official website, and on the site, go to Donor Management. By paying the Rs.500 as the price for the ticket one can avail of the Darshan within 180 days from the date of the remittance of the donation.
Tirumala Darshan for Defence Personnel
Defence Personnel who wish to have Darshan in Tirumala can avail of this facility. Persons who are in service of the Indian defence force can avail of this. No need for a booking. On reaching Tirumala, the defence personnel should go to the Supadam entrance along with original ID proof. On confirming their identity, they can enter the queue after buying the special entrance tickets by paying RS.300 per ticket. The dependents of the defence personnel can also join them. The time for defence people is between 12 noon to 5 PM.
Tirumala Darshan for Senior Citizens
Pilgrims aged 65 and up are eligible for this service. The ticket provided to the senior citizen is free. To avail of this, the person should have proper original age and identity proof. This darshan facilitates the elderly to get Lord Balaji’s darshan within an hour without waiting for long hours in the queue. Only the spouse of the senior citizen can accompany them. Grandchildren of senior citizens aged below 12 can accompany them.
If no one is available to care for the elderly during darshan, TTD provides volunteers to assist them. Daily there are two time slots available for senior citizens. Morning slots open by 10 a.m., and the next slot will be by 3 p.m. Every slot provides tickets for about 700 Senior citizens. They can get free Laddu Prasadam for their tickets. A senior citizen can use this facility once every three months.
Tirumala Darshan for infants
Infants of less than a year can get free tickets for darshan. In such a case, the child can be accompanied by parents and siblings of age less than 12. Birth certificates of the baby issued by the government authorities are mandatory. Timings of this darshan are either in the morning by 8 to 10.30 a.m. or 12 noon to 6 p.m. Parents along with their babies must reach the Supadam entrance.
Tirumala Darshan for the Handicapped
Physically handicapped persons can get a special ticket by showing their medical certificate regarding the disability. One person like the spouse can accompany them. If an attendant is not available, TTD provides volunteers to assist the handicapped person during the time of darshan.
There are two time slots available for physically challenged persons; one is the morning slot that begins at 10 a.m. and the evening by 3 p.m. During Wednesdays and Fridays, the morning slots are not available. The TTD gives this facility to the physically challenged once in 90 days. Every day only 700 tickets per slot are allowed for physically challenged people.
Tirumala Darshan for NRIs
NRIs can have a special darshan at Tirumala, by showing their valid passports and Visas. The immigration date should not be more than 30 days as per the visa. Like the other above special cases, NRIs too can join the queue at the Supatham entrance after filling in the required forms and buying the tickets by paying Rs.300 per ticket. There are no special slots available for NRIs. They can join the queue after completing the required procedures from 12 noon to 6 p.m. every day.
Darshan Dress Code In Tirumala
Since 2013, TTD has introduced a dress code for pilgrims. As per the terms of TTD, men should wear either dhoti with upper cloth or Pajamas with upper cloth. Women can wear either saree, half-saree with a blouse, or churidar with Pajama and dupatta.
Annaprasadam at Tirumala and Tirupati
Since 1985, TTD has provided Annadanam to the pilgrims. From 1.4.2014, the scheme of providing Annaprasadam is governed by a separate trust by the name “Sri Venkateswara Annaprasadam Trust.” In Tirumala, Tirupati, and Tiruchanoor Annaprasadam is given to pilgrims daily at several places and counters. Pilgrims can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. About 1,60,000 pilgrims consume the Annaprasadam on weekdays, and on weekends the numbers go up to 2,00,000. To serve Annaprasadam to pilgrims, every day about 12 tons of rice in Tirumala and 2 tons of rice in Tirupati are used.
TTD Donations
All donations above Rs.1000 given to TTD will get Income Tax deductions. The donations given by devotees are deposited in nationalized banks and the interest accumulated therein is used for diverse services.
- A donor providing a donation of Rs. 1000 to 99,999 will get an acknowledgment receipt and IT deduction Certificate.
- A donor who provides a donation of 1 lakh to 5 lakhs can get a day’s accommodation and a day’s darshan for 5 people through Supatham. Along with the acknowledgment receipt and IT deduction Certificate, 6 small laddus and a dupatta and a blouse piece will be provided to them by TTD.
- For donations of amounts rupees 5 lakhs to 10 lakhs, the devotee can avail of 3 days accommodation and 3 days darshan through Supatham for 5 persons. 10 small Laddus, 5 Mahaprasadams and a dupatta, a blouse piece, and a gold-plated silver medallion will be provided to them by TTD.
- For donations of amounts rupees 10 lakhs to one crore, 3 days L2 break darshan for 5 people and 3 days accommodation is provided. 20 small laddus, 10 Mahaprasadams and a dupatta, a blouse piece and one 5-gram gold dollar, and a gold-plated silver medallion will be provided to them by TTD.
- For donations of rupees one crore and above, the donner can avail 3 days of Suprabhata darshan, 3 days of L1 break darshan along with three days of accommodation. 10 big Laddus, 10 Mahaprasadam, 1-day Veda Ashivachanam, a dupatta, a blouse piece, and a 5-gram gold dollar and a gold-plated silver medallion will be provided to them by TTD.
- Donations for Annaprasadam can also be done. One day’s entire expenditure for Annaprasadam is 33 lakhs, for only breakfast 7.7 lakhs, for lunch 12.65 lakhs, and for dinner 12.65 lakhs. The Donor’s name will be displayed in MTVAC, Tirumala. All the donations received by TTD are treated as corpus donations. All donations are given income tax deductions under section 80 G, up to 50% deduction.
Tirumala Free Bus Service
TTD provides free bus service to the pilgrims to make their conveyance easy in Tirumala. Travel to various complexes and darshan counters in Tirumala is made easy by these free buses. Once every 8 minutes, free buses are available.
CRO Office Address
Central Reservation Office at Tirumala is the office where offline reservations for accommodation, darshan, and Sevas can be done. The office is located at Tirumala-Tirupati Road, Balaji Nagar, Tirumala, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh- 517504. The contact number for the CRO office is 0877 226 3922.
Dos and Don’ts In Tirumala
TTD suggests some dos and don’ts while in Tirumala.
Do’s:
- Before starting your trip to Tirumala, offer prayers to your Ishta Deivam or Kula Deivam.
- Bookings for darshan and stay are always recommended.
- Before you worship Lord Balaji at Tirumala, have the blessings of Sri Bhu Varaha Swamy.
- Have a bath in Swami Pushkarini and wear tidy clothes as per the prescribed dress code while you go for darshan.
- Respect and encourage the religious beliefs of other pilgrims.
- Eat vegetarian food only, while in Tirumala.
- While you are in the temple, focus your concentration on Lord Balaji.
Don’ts:
- Do not go to Tirumala for anything but to worship the Lord.
- Do not bring a lot of ornaments or money with you.
- Do not wear shoes in the temple or the area around it.
- Do not have alcohol and do not smoke in Tirumala.
- Do not try to get darshan right away instead of waiting in line.
- Do not waste Prasadam.
- Do not engage in any violent or unpleasant behavior in the holy place.
- Do not do Sashtanga Namaskara inside the temple.
- Arms and ammunition cannot be brought into Tirumala; pilgrims who do so must disclose their possession at the Alipiri checkpoint and present all necessary documentation, or else legal action will be taken.
Conclusion
The Tirumala and Tirupati temple and their surrounding area are regarded as holy and deserving of reverence and devotion. Keep in mind that this is a holy place where one can renew one’s spirit and mind. Whether you are there for a visit or for praying purposes, remember to keep the soulfulness of the place intact and enjoy your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity fully by getting a sight of the majestic temple.