Today’s blog post explains in detail the Tirupati Balaji darshan process.

Recently, I travelled to Tirupati Balaji temple. It was my first visit, so I was confused and slightly overwhelmed. Locals don’t speak Hindi or English, so communicating was difficult.

In the “Tirupati Balaji darshan guide”, discover how to reach the temple, the darshan tickets, the darshan process and other details.

TIRUPATI DARSHAN

Tirupati Balaji temple has two types of darshan – free and paid darshan.

Free darshan takes 5-6 hours, and paid darshan takes 3-4 hours.

Paid darshan requires a Rs.300 token. It is available on the temple’s official website, “Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams“.

Every month, tickets for paid darshan go live and within a few hours, tickets sell out. If that happens, you can visit local agents in your city for tickets. But there’s a catch. These agents resell the tickets for three times the original price.

I bought my darshan tickets from a local agent for Rs.2500 per person. It was cheaper than what other people paid because I booked tickets for a later date (2 months later).

The tickets are time-based. That means you should get into the queue at the given time or slightly earlier. My ticket was for 4 p.m. I arrived at the Rs.300 darshan entrance at 3:30 p.m.

If you’re slightly late, it’s ok. But don’t be too late.

If you didn’t book your darshan tickets online, you can try your luck at Tirumala. There are ticket counters at Tirumala that release a handful of Rs.300 tickets for darshan.

It is the temple’s official ticket counter, so you pay Rs.300 only. Tickets are limited, so arrive as early as possible.

DOCUMENTS FOR RS.300 DARSHAN

For Rs.300 darshan, visitors must carry the hard copy of their tickets and the IDs they submitted for the booking.

I submitted my Adhar Card at the time of the booking. So, while entering, I had to present the physical copy of my ticket and my original Adhar Card.

NOTE:- Photocopies or digital copies of IDs aren’t accepted.

DARSHAN PROCESS

There are separate entrances for free and paid darshan. Follow the signs to your respective entrances.

During my visit to Shri Venkateswara Swamy temple, I didn’t see the free darshan entrance, but I saw a couple of signboards pointing in that direction.

At the Rs.300 darshan entrance, show your ticket to the office to check you are entering the correct place. Then, follow the queue to the locker counter. Deposit your mobile and cameras, get a receipt, and head to the next counter.

Here, the officers will confirm your tickets and check your IDs. Once confirmed, proceed to the security check.

Walk a little more till you enter a hall. Find a seat because you will be here for 2-3 hours. Later, the door at the bottom of the hall will open. Join the queue and head for another security check.

After the security check, head to another hall.

Depending on the number of devotees present that day, you will have to wait in the second hall, or you will pass through quickly.

After leaving the second hall, the queue leads to the temple.

Once you are outside, you will see the temple’s outer walls. That means you will soon enter the temple. From here, Darshan takes 1-1½ hours (depending on the crowd).

There is a defined queue till you pass through the enormous doors. Once you’re through, all the free and Rs.300 darshan lines band together. People keep pushing from every direction.

NOTE:- If you’re travelling with children, carry them in your arms.

Once again, while entering the temple’s mandap, there are a couple of lines. Join any one of them. All queues lead to the front of the Venkateswara Swamy idol.

After your darshan, exit the mandap. Now, you can explore the temple or head to the exit.

PRASAD

At the exit, each devotee is given a small ladoo as Prasad.

Take your Prasad and head to the exit. After leaving the temple, you will see a signboard for the Prasad counter.

Do you have a Rs.300 ticket? Then, head to the Prasad counter. At the counter, present your ticket and get a free Prasad. If you want more Prasad, the small ladoo is for Rs.50, and the big one is for Rs.200.

SRI VENKATESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE TIMINGS

The Venkateswara Swamy temple opens daily at 3 a.m. and closes at midnight.

However, devotees are allowed entry from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and darshan resumes at 8 p.m. and continues till midnight. From 3 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., sevas take place.

HOW TO REACH TIRUMALA?

The Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple is in Tirumala. The temple is at the top of the hill, 20 km from Tirupati.

There are three ways to reach Tirumala – by bus, taxi or own vehicle.

Buses and taxis are available at every corner. Walk to your nearest bus stand and board the one heading to Tirumala. Or you can use Ola, Uber or Rapido to call a cab.

The buses drop you off at the APSRTC bus stand near the Indian Oil petrol pump. From here, you can walk to the temple, 1 km away. Or, you can hire a taxi to visit neighbouring temples.

Self-driving is the easiest and best way to reach Tirumala and is cheaper than hiring a taxi.

ROAD TO TIRUMALA

There is only one road to Tirumala. A few metres from the Alipiri Circle is the Sapthagiri Checkpoint.

At Sapthagiri Checkpoint, every vehicle and individual has to undergo a security check. There are several lanes, so the queues move quickly.

All the passengers except the driver have to go through a security check. Those carrying any luggage, bring it with you for the security check.

It is a simple security check, but the queues are long, so it takes 10-15 minutes.

As for the vehicle security check, it takes 5-10 minutes. The security inspects the bonnet, boot, and glove boxes. After that, the driver undergoes a security check. Then, you can proceed.

A few metres away is another booth where you pay Rs.50 as a toll. Don’t forget your receipt. If you have FastTag, the money gets debited from your account.

The road to Tirumala is a two-lane road with more than 50 turns. It is a one-way road. There is a separate road from Tirumala.

If you zoom in between the two roads on Google Maps, you will see the stairs leading to the temple.

Many people walk from the base of the mountain to the temple. It takes a couple of hours to reach the top. Most of the path is covered and has food stalls and restrooms.

Upon reaching the top, the buses will stop at the APSRTC bus stand. Taxis and private vehicles can head directly to the temple or visit the other temples.

CONCLUSION

That brings us to the end of the Tirupati Balaji darshan guide.

To summarise, there is free and paid darshan at Tirupati Balaji temple. Free darshan takes 5-6 hours, and paid darshan takes 3-4 hours.

Tickets for paid darshan cost Rs.300 and can be booked online on their official website. Or you can visit your local office.

The darshan for Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple involves lots of walking and waiting. But when you see the Venkateswara Swamy idol, all the trouble seems insignificant.

Here’s a list of other posts related to Tirupati Balaji temple.

• Dress code for Tirupati Balaji
• Temples to visit in Tirumala

I hope the Tirupati Balaji darshan guide was helpful. If I missed something or you have queries, let me know in the comments.