About Tirupati
The city of Tirupati is one of the biggest pilgrimage centers of the world. Positioned at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, Tirupati is most famous for the VenkateswaraSwamy temple located in the Tirumala Hills. 50,000 - 100,000 pilgrims visit Tirupati every day, traveling from far and wide to offer Darshan to Lord Venkateswara. The number of Darshan seekers who take the tour in a single day can skyrocket to 500,000 on special occasions, making Tirupati the busiest religious destination in the whole world. The Venkateswara Temple is found atop the last of the seven Tirumala hills near Tirupati, at an elevation of 853 meters. Other major centers for the pilgrim’s tour include the Govindaraja shrine within Tirupati and the Padmavati shrine in Tiruchanur, about 5 kilometers south of Tirupati.
Historically, the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala is claimed to have been an established center of Vaishnavism by 5th century A.D. The town of Tirupati formed itself much later around the foundation of the Govindarajaswami Temple, which was established by the Vaishnavaite teacher, Ramanuja, during the twelfth century. Prior to this the only settlement in the area was a tiny village named Kapilatirtham, a short distance to the north of modern-day Tirupati. ‘Ramanujapuram,’ expanded a great deal during Vijayanagara times, gradually forming a big township. Over successive centuries, several other shrines too sprouted up lending to Tirupati’shighly regarded sanctity. Today, with never less than 5,000 pilgrims offering Darshan to Lord Venkateswara, the temple has turned into one of the richest places of worship in the entire world, second only to SreePadmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala.
Entry and regular Darshan at the TirupatiVenkateswara Temple is free, however, those who choose to pay extra may join the express lane for a quick Darshan. Touring pilgrims may also buy quick Darshan tickets that are available at the Vaikuntam Queue Complex- a series of inter-linked hallways leading up to the main shrine where the BalajiDarshan takes place. The queue system regulates a minimum of 5,000 worshipers seeking Darshan at any given point and ensures orderly movement of pilgrims. The free Darshan is called ‘SarvaDarshan,’ translating into ‘darshan for all.’ This common Darshan is normally allotted between 18 and 20 hours daily and has different timings each day. The ‘SeegraDarshan’ ticket was introduced in 2009 to provide a quick and convenient Darshan for Pilgrims who are willing to pay extra. The cost of a SeegraDarshan ticket is Rs. 300 per pilgrim and can be made available as part of the package tour. On purchasing the SeegraDarshan ticket, pilgrims are allowed their Darshan directly. SeegraDarshan tickets are available at all times when the SarvaDarshan is open.
The DivyaDarshan is provided for those who make it to Tirumala by foot via the GaliGopuram or SrivariMettu, facilitating free Darshan, accommodation and food. The Sudarshan token, issued from various TTD-counters at Rs.50 was introduced to reduce waiting time by indicating a particular time when the pilgrim may enter the Vaikuntam Queue Complex. A Special Darshan is also available for the Physically Challenged, the Aged and infants, along with attendants, through a separate gate at the main temple entrance. E-Darshan counters are available in major cities from which bookings can be made 60 days in advance of the tour.
The seventh of the sacred hills (Tirumala) that houses the Venkateswara temple is known as Venkatachalam Hill and is the predominant part of all tours to Tirupati. It is located 12 kilometers northwest of Tirupati and is surrounded by hills of higher altitude. At the final leg of the tour to Tirumala are five different routes, two from Tirupati- a pathway built of steps and a motorway, a third from Chandragiri, a fourth from Mamandur Railway station and a fifth via Nagapatla.
About Vellore
New Sai Krishna Travels takes to the Vellore is a city and administrative centre of the Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In 2008, the 142 year–old municipality was made a City Corporation.
It is considered to be one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati. The city has colleges, ancient temples and one of the best hospitals in India. Vellore is a major transist point for travellers, a hub for medical tourism and is emerging as a tourism hot spot. You can visit these place by New Sai Krishna Travels
The newly established Vellore City Corporation has merged several areas into its borders including the area stretching East to West between Walajapet (including Ranipet, Arcot, Melvisharam and Sathuvachari) and Virinchipuram (including Shenbakkam and Konavattam) and North to South from Christianpet (including Katpadi and Gandhinagar) to Adukamparai (including, Thorappadi, Ariyur and Bagayam).
The places to visit to Vellore New Sai Krishna Travels Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in Vellore city near Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The Fort was at one point of time the head quarters of the Vijayanagara Empire. The fort is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry. The Fort's ownership passed from Vijayanagara Kings, to the Bijapur Sultans, to Marathas, to the Carnatic Nawabs and finally to the British, who held the fort until India gained independence. During British rule, the Tippu Sultan's family and the last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha were held in as royal prisoners in the fort. The fort houses a Christian church, a Muslim mosque and a Hindu temple, the latter of which is famous for its magnificent carvings. The first rebellion against British rule erupted at this fort in 1806, and it is also a witness to the tragic massacre of the Vijayanagara royal family of Emperor Sriranga Raya.
Another places to visit to Vellore New Sai Krishna Travels is the fortifications consist of a main rampart broken at irregular intervals by round towers and rectangular projections. The main walls are built of massive granite stones surrounded by a broad moat fed with water by subterranean drains from the Suryagunta tank. Within the fort is the similarly aged Jalakanteswara Temple. The fort is one of the most perfect specimens of military architecture in Southern India. One of the interesting features of this fort is that there is a Hindu temple, Christian church and Muslim mosque within its ramparts. The Fort also houses the famous "Tipu Mahal" where Tipu Sultan is believed to have stayed with his family during the war with the British. The graveyards of Tipu's sons are found at Vellore. The Fort is under the control of the Archeological Survey of India. The Vellore Fort has been declared as a "Monument of National Importance". The fort has become a tourist attraction for visitors to Vellore.
The state Government Museum is inside the fort and was opened to the public in 1985. The historical monuments of the North Arcot District are depicted in the Gallery. Special exhibits include a bronze double antenna sword from Vellore Taluk dating back to 400 BC., stone sculptures from the Late Pallava to Vijayanagar periods, an ivory chess board and coins used by the last Kandian King of Sri Lanka Vikrama Raja Singha. The educational activities of this Museum include an art camp for school students, the study of inscriptions and iconography for college students.
Vellore has a magnificent golden temple which is located at Sripuram near Thirumalaikodi. It is approximately 12 km from the Vellore bus terminus.
The temple is located on 20 acres of land and has been constructed by Vellore-based Sri Narayani Peedam headed by spiritual leader Sri Sakthi Amma. The temple covers 55,000 sq ft (5,100 m2) and has intricate carvings and sculptures in gold. The lighting is arranged in such a way that the temple glitters even during night. The temple construction was completed in on August 24, 2007. This places can be visited by New Sai Krishna Travels
The Jalakandeswarar Temple is situated inside the Vellore Fort and has a majestic Gopuram (tower). Here Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of "Jalakandeswarar". The temple is located at sub-ground levels below the temple moat – hence the name Jalakandeswarar. The temple was closed for a very long period. The main effigy of the deity of the sanctum sanctorium was taken away to a distant location to save him from being dishonoured by an appraisal. It was brought back amd put in place in 1980 when there was a severe water scarcity. The then Collector was key in getting the deity back to its location.
Book online bus tickets to Vellore By New Sai Krishna Travels