There is a saying among devotees of Lord Venkateswara: "You do not decide when to visit Tirumala. The Lord decides when to call you."
For a long time, I had wanted to visit Tirumala. Like many others, I kept postponing the trip for one reason or another. By the time I finally decided to go, the system for booking Special Entry Darshan had changed and tickets were being snapped up months in advance. Looking back, perhaps it was the Lord's way of teaching me that not every meeting with Him can be planned.
When the opportunity finally came, it came suddenly.
Without overthinking, I booked a two-day, two-night Andhra Tourism package from Chennai. The package cost 2,200 and included travel, accommodation, and a tour guide. I was travelling alone, but somehow I never felt alone. The journey itself felt like an invitation. You can book your ticket here - https://tourism.ap.gov.in/home
25 September: The Journey Begins
On the evening of 25 September, I was about to start from office to the pick up point I got a call from the tour operator saying the trip is delayed for 3 hours (from regular 7 pm). So I headed to home to change shoes and attire too. I reached the pickup point near Guindy Metro Station in Chennai at around 9 pm. Then had a light dinner (4 Idlies in Sangeetha Bhavan next to guindy metro station) and waited there till 10.15, There was the usual excitement of a pilgrimage about to begin. Families, elderly couples, youngsters, and solo travellers like me stood with bags in hand, waiting for the bus that would carry us towards the sacred hills.
As the bus rolled out of Chennai and into the night, I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. The tiredness of the day quickly overtook me. Somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, I felt a quiet happiness.
After all, I was finally on my way to see the Lord of the Seven Hills.
26 September: A Day of Blessings
In the early hours of the morning, we reached the AP Tourism Haritha Hotel. After a short rest, our guide woke us up at dawn. The ringing of bells outside the rooms was enough to get everyone moving.
The pilgrimage had truly begun.
Srikalahasti
By 6 AM we were standing before the majestic temple of Sri Kalahasteeswara at Srikalahasti.
The morning air was cool and fresh. Since we were among the first devotees to enter, the darshan was peaceful. Inside the sanctum, there was a divine stillness that is difficult to describe. Receiving the Lord's blessings and prasadam so early in the day felt like a wonderful start to the pilgrimage. I got two laddus and was surprised to see the big size of the laddu(Rs 100 each) duly packed in a paper bag.
Srinivasa Mangapuram
After breakfast, we travelled to Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Srinivasa Mangapuram.
The temple carries a touching significance. It is believed that Lord Venkateswara stayed here with Goddess Padmavati after their celestial marriage before moving to Tirumala. Standing there, one cannot help but feel closer to the human aspect of divinity, to the stories that generations of devotees have cherished.
The crowd was small, and the darshan was peaceful. I found myself lingering a little longer, simply enjoying the calmness of the temple.
Padmavati Ammavari Temple
Our next stop was Tiruchanur, the abode of Goddess Padmavati.
The temple was full of devotion and reverence. Watching devotees fold their hands with complete faith reminded me that every person there carried their own burdens, prayers, hopes, and gratitude.
For a few moments, I forgot everything outside the temple walls.
There was only devotion.
The Test Before the Blessing
Every pilgrimage has its test.
For us, that test came in the form of the SSD token queue.
We reached the Scheduled Sarva Darshan token counter during the afternoon. Nobody seemed to know exactly when the tokens would be issued. We were simply told to wait.
So we waited.
And waited.
By around 3 PM, thousands of people had gathered. The queue stretched farther than the eye could see. The sun was relentless. The heat radiating from the ground felt even worse.
There were elderly devotees leaning on walking sticks, mothers carrying children, and youngsters trying to shield their parents from the sun. Yet nobody left the line.
Everyone had come for the same reason.
Everyone wanted just one glimpse of the Lord.
For nearly four hours, we stood there.
At times, I wondered whether I would have the energy left for the next day's darshan. But every time such thoughts arose, I would look around and find inspiration in the devotion of the people standing beside me.
When the token finally landed in my hand, it felt less like a piece of paper and more like a blessing.
That evening, tired beyond words, I returned to the hotel, had dinner, and slept with only one thought in mind:
Tomorrow, I would finally see Him.
27 September: The Moment
The next morning began before sunrise.
By 5.30 AM, we were on our way towards Tirumala.
The bus climbed through the sacred hills, and with every turn of the road the excitement grew stronger. As I looked at the lush green surroundings and the mist-covered hills, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
By 8 AM, I was inside the Sarva Darshan queue.
What followed was another five hours of waiting.
But this wait felt different.
The closer we moved towards the sanctum, the faster the heart seemed to beat.
During those long hours, I kept planning what I would tell the Lord.
I thought of the people I wanted to pray for.
I thought of my family, Maa, Moti, Duggu and all.
I thought of my worries, my dreams, my gratitude.
I rehearsed those conversations in my mind over and over.
Then came the moment.
The queue moved.
The sanctum appeared.
The chanting of "Govinda... Govinda..." grew louder.
And suddenly He was there.
Lord Venkateswara.
The One whom millions travel hundreds of kilometres to see.
The One whom countless devotees remember every day.
For months I had imagined that moment and all the things I would say.
Yet when I stood before Him, I forgot everything.
Every prayer.
Every wish.
Every carefully prepared sentence.
Nothing remained.
I simply stared.
For a few precious seconds, the world disappeared.
There was no crowd.
There was no noise.
There was no tiredness.
There was only Him.
And then, just as quickly, it was over.
The security staff gently moved us forward, and I was outside the sanctum.
But something had changed.
The body was exhausted, yet the mind felt incredibly light.
The heart felt full.
As though a burden I didn't even know I was carrying had been quietly lifted.
The Journey Home
Later, after collecting the laddus, having a hot meal, and doing a little shopping, I waited near the reporting point for the rest of the group.
Throughout the journey, our group of forty-plus pilgrims had moved together and drifted apart countless times. Such is the nature of Tirumala. In the crowds, everyone becomes an individual pilgrim standing before God.
As I sat there waiting, I reflected on the past two days.
The queues.
The heat.
The walking.
The lack of sleep.
The uncertainty.
Surprisingly, none of those things mattered anymore.
What remained was that single fleeting moment before the Lord.
I travelled alone, but those long hours gave me something precious: time to chant His name, time to reflect on my life, and time to understand a simple truth.
As devotees, we often think we must tell God everything.
But when you finally stand before Lord Venkateswara, you realize He already knows.
He knows your struggles.
He knows your fears.
He knows your dreams.
He knows what you need, even before you ask.
Perhaps that is why words leave us when we stand before Him.
As the bus rolled back towards Chennai on the evening of 27 September, my heart was filled with peace and gratitude.
I returned with laddus in my bag.
But more importantly, I returned with faith in my heart.
Namo Narayanaya.
Govinda... Govinda... Govinda..
