‘शुभा: ते पंथान:’
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(BON VOYAGE)
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TIRUMALA- A PATH OF PIETY!
Nitin
Erande’s Blog:
Exploring
the sanctity, experiencing the celestial frequencies in Tirumala Tirupati
Devasthan:
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February 13, 2018
Govinda……
Govinda……. Gooovindaaaaa!!!
Tirupati
Balaji temple or Sri Venkateshwara Swami temple is one of the most legendary
milestones of the realm. It is situated on the hills of Tirumala in the
Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The gorgeous holy place, with
prodigious contributions and endowments from the devotees, is the most renowned
pilgrim terminus on the globe, enticing the utmost number of people day by day.
The
edifice of Tirupati Balaji temple initiated in 300 AD with ensuing additions
made now and then. In the history of the temple, the
Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara ordered
for the decoration of the inner roof of the temple when he visited it in 1517. Much of its affluence and extent
propagated during the supremacy of the Vijayanagara rulers who poured gold and
diamonds into the treasury of the temple.
The
rulers of the Kingdom of Mysore and the Gadwal Samsthan visited the temple
regularly and contributed so many valuables. During the mid-part of the
eighteenth century, Maratha general Raghoji I Bhonsle established a permanent
body to administer the temple worship. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD)
was instituted through the TTD Act in 1932.
Initiation and the planning to start from Pune especially on weekend:
Our
‘Govinda…Govinda group’ consisting of 5 devotees, created under an able
leadership of my brother in law Mr.Pankaj Phansalkar an ardent and prolonged
devotee of Tirupati Balaji. He has been my driving force to acquaint me with
the keen devoutness for the God. So we came together and decided for the
shortest route to Tirupati. We urged for having enough time for our Darshan and
relaxation. We opted for the flight from Pune to Chennai and by road from
Chennai to Tirupati. Tirupati is hardly 130 kms away from Chennai. After an
extensive span I could get an opportunity to visit the revered place to seek
blessings for the wellbeing of my kith and kins.
Journey:-Pune- Chennai- Tirupati:
We
hired a taxi and then reached Pune airport. Our
plane took off from Pune for Chennai at 5.55 am. My intuitions enabled me to
judge my co passengers’ destination, which was obviously Tirupati. We reached
Chennai airport in one and half hour and the pre booked taxi was already
waiting for us on the airport to take us to our planned destination. The
duration of journey was two to three hours with our minds preoccupied with the
anxious thoughts of having Darshan of the deity early enough, for fear that the
delay to reach in time might mar our desire to have it.
Awesome breakfast at Anand Bhuvan:
The
pangs of hunger forced us to halt in ‘Anand Bhuvan’, the restaurant on the way
which served us the exceptional treat of the feast of delicious local food of mouth
licking, soft and spongy Idlis with the fresh, juicy coconut chutney and hot,
spicy and aromatic Sambar served in a traditional way on the banana leaf. Can
you guess the charges we paid for the awesome breakfast relished? It was 500/-
for 5 people and that too it was unlimited! I felt to salute the generous
hoteliers, who esteemed our great traditions than to yield to crave for earning
money by any means.
Check
post
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Tirumala Devasthan |
Journey through Seven Mountains and Tirumala:
Then
we resumed our journey and soon we were in the midst of the mesmerizing Rocky
Mountains laden at the top with the lush green forests. The cool breeze flowing
through the range of the mountains beckoned to me of the enthralling frequencies
of the approaching deity. We reached the city Tirupati, halted in the lodge,
and after a refreshing bath, we reached the entrance gate of the temple,
travelling the distance of 4 kms by car. After keen scrutiny of our car, we
were allowed to move further towards the toll booth where the entry toll was
charged. Then we had to climb the 16
kms ghat to the temple. It is obligatory for the tourists to follow some rules
and regulations while climbing the ghat. The tourists have to pay 1000/-as penalty
if they reach the temple before 45 minutes as it is necessary to
regulate the speed of the car to avoid accidents. It is really an appreciating
step taken by the authorities to be concerned about safety and security of the
tourists as well as about the conservation of the environment. The air
conditioner in the car should be switched off for the conservation of nature. Lo…at
last we reached our divine destination.
Prior to Darshan
We
enquired at the Help Booth about our booked queue of worth Rs.300.The Security
person requested us to keep our belongings like mobile phone, wallets and
leather belts at the counter or in our car. He urged us to wear Indian
traditional attire like Salwar Kurta or dhoti as wearing western outfit is
strictly prohibited. The only thing we carried with us was the photo identity
like Driving license/ Aadhaar card, the documents which we had submitted at the
time of online booking. We marvelled at the superb arrangement done by the
Devasthan for the devotees standing in the long queues waiting eagerly for the
Darshan. The devotees could rest or sit for a while in the 50 vast halls well
equipped with drinking water, washrooms and provision of food in case of delay.
The devotees standing for long hours and getting exhausted before the Darshan
could not be found. Thanks to Devasthan!
Moment of Darshan
We
reached the sanctum of the temple. The celestial view of the Tirupati Balaji
reminded me of the affirmed statement of Saint Tukaram in Marathi- याची देही याची डोळा , पाहीन सोहळा ”, which means in this very body and with these very eyes, I shall enjoy the
great festival of final liberation. The moment I closed my eyes, folded my
hands and offered my prayers to the deity, I realized the positive frequencies
creating an aura of holiness surrounding me. My words fall short at present to describe
an overwhelming experience of the divinity felt at that time. I circumambulated
(Pradakshina) the Deity and within a minute we went outside the sanctum
(Gabhara).
Post Darshan
We then rested for a while outside the sanctum to gain more frequencies. The place was so captivating that we found it very difficult to step outside the sanctum. Then we took two ladoos allotted per ticket which were prepared with pure ghee, with the aromatic and soothing flavour of camphor. Then by the evening we hired a cab and started our return journey. My brother in law Mr.Pankaj Phansalkar played the Ram Raksha Stotra on the player of our cab. We were cautiously descending the ghat with 70 to 80 hair pin turns. We returned to our hotel within an hour. Then relishing the savoury South Indian curd rice with Rassam and Sambar, we went to sleep.
Return Journey
The next day we had our breakfast of Idli Sambar and unanimously decided to go to the nearby temple named Shri kalahasteeswara temple of Lord Shiva located 20 km from Tirupsti in the district of Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. The origin of the temple was in 5th century A.D and its construction is associated with Chola kings and the Vijaynagara kings. The Shivalinga made of white stone resembles the shape of the trunk of an elephant. There are rare images of various deities found in the temple. The temple had a heavy rush of the devotees. We started our return journey to Pune via Chennai.
Some important points to be noted:
1) Book your travel and accommodation in Tirumala well in advance (minimum two months before).
2) Bathe and wear clean
clothes before you enter the temple.
3) Wearing Jeans, T-shirts, shorts and skirts is prohibited.
4) Focus on the prayers to Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy inside
the temple.
5) Observe absolute silence and chant “Om Namo Sri
Venkatesaya”, inside the temple.
6) Respect ancient customs and usages while at Tirumala.
7) Respect and promote religious sentiments among co-pilgrims.
8) Deposit your offerings only in the Hundi.
It
is my prayer to Lord Balaji to offer his gracious blessings ever as we were
determined to come again to seek his blessings, have the divine feeling year
after year to fill our lives with zest.
