Tirumala Venkateswara Temple

The Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, on the Tirumala hills above Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The Tirumala Venkateswara Temple has inscriptions dating back more than a thousand years, and it is among the most visited pilgrimage sites on earth, with tens of thousands of pilgrims every day and far more during the Brahmotsavam festival.

Kings of the Pallava, Chola and Vijayanagara dynasties endowed the temple, and the Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya made several famous visits in the 16th century. Today the temple is run by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and is one of the richest religious institutions in the world, funded by offerings of cash, gold and even hair: many pilgrims have their heads shaved as a vow of thanks, and the hair is later auctioned. The Tirupati laddu, the temple's sweet offering, carries a Geographical Indication tag.

What to see

• The gold-plated Ananda Nilayam, the tower over the inner shrine
• Darshan of the main deity, the brief moment of viewing that pilgrims queue for
• The Kalyanakatta tonsuring halls, where heads are shaved
• The Alipiri and Srivari Mettu footpaths that pilgrims climb on foot
• Akasa Ganga and the Silathoranam natural rock arch on the hill

What to wear

The Tirumala Venkateswara Temple has a formal dress code for many darshan types, including the paid special entry darshan: men wear a dhoti or kurta and pyjama, and women wear a saree, half saree or churidar with a dupatta. Jeans, shorts and sleeveless tops are not accepted. Shoes are left outside, and phones, cameras and bags are deposited before entry. The hill is cooler than Tirupati below, so carry a shawl for early morning queues.

Local food to try

The whole Tirumala hill is vegetarian, and alcohol, meat and tobacco are banned. TTD serves free meals to pilgrims at the large annaprasadam hall, typically rice, sambar and rasam. Try the famous laddu prasadam, and down in Tirupati look for Andhra and Rayalaseema dishes: pesarattu (green gram crepe), pulihora (tamarind rice), gongura pickle and ragi sangati. Vegetarian meals are served everywhere.

Good to know

• Best from September to February; weekends, holidays and festivals bring the longest queues
• Open daily from very early morning to late night; darshan slots vary by type
• Free (sarva) darshan, or paid special entry darshan booked online in advance
• Allow a full day; free darshan queues can take many hours
• About 22 km uphill from Tirupati by road, or roughly 3,500 steps on foot from Alipiri; Chennai is about 150 km away
• Phones and cameras are not allowed inside the temple

Nearby places

Chennai's Marina Beach is about 150 km away and pairs well with a Tirupati trip. Within Andhra Pradesh, RK Beach in Visakhapatnam is far to the north-east, while Hyderabad's Charminar is roughly 550 km by road.