Coastal27685603966
★1.0Wrote on 27 Dec 2023
Completely mismanaged, zero respect for devotees
Absolutely pathetic management. Me and my family came all the way from Mumbai. We thought we could stand in line for however long for darshan but the free and slotted darshan entry were arbitrarily prohibited for a week! None of this info is on the TTD website. Our driver from Bangalore and our travel agent also did not know any of this. No major officer was available to meet. The Chairman and JEO had simply left post lunch. In the prasad queue, we met other people from Delhi, Orissa... who also did not get darshan due to the same reason. Only people who seem to get the darshan were locals. A brilliant display of the poor management was the laddu lines, where for some reason the counters are separated according to bank names but they take cash 😂. The counters give laddus without a bag or container and then there is another completely separate line to buy the bags for the laddus- I can't imagine how dense you have to be to come up with this The management has absolutely zero respect for people's time and energy. In all my visits to temples else where in India, I have not experienced anything like this. Lord Venkateswara would be so angry at this utter mismanagement of his abode. If you are not from AP, please don't rely on "on the spot entry"
pumashan
★★★★4.0Wrote on 23 Dec 2023
Tirumala Balaji Darshan takes average 2-1/2 hours to 6 hours from the time you report at Gate
It’s an interesting experience, I would like to narrate so people as I can benefit with some assessments on what to expect. I chose to climb up the steps as desired by my cousin, who was along with her husband. We picked Srivari Mettu point to climb up ( it’s 700 metre above sea level. Has 2400 steps and is 1.2 km long. ( the other option is Aliperi at 150 metre above sea level and is 3500 steps and 11 km.) I could complete climbing under an hour. We started at 8 and done by 9ish. Since we couldn’t get any bookings ( Rs 300 ticket), only option is to get the free ticket for pilgrims taking the steps ( but here the Darshan time slot is at the mercy of the clerk issuing tickets; or maybe it’s algorithm driver as ChatGPT advised), we got a slot of 9 PM, at the reporting gate at Tirumala, that’s 13 hours from issuing ticket. 😳: again it’s a free darshan ticket and we were t offered options. So with my family also reaching by around 9.30, we had so much time. We had a good breakfast as our car arrived as well, booked a hotel in foothills as there is no accommodation available or listed in TA or other portals. Drove downhills. rested, went to Thiruchanoor to pay obeisance to Alamelangai Thayar, took 30 min in the queue to make darshan and started drive uphill, following the ticket saying Divyadarshanam point. We arrived and had the car parked( noting the spot as we will have to leave phones behind - in the hindsight it’s ok to carry a phone and this gets collected and is delivered after Darshan, though I didn’t experience this in Tirumala. I understood it’s a similar process I followed at Thiruchanoor temple downstairs) Important to note is that there is no special gate for Divyadarshanam, the gate for Sarvadarshanam is common with Divyadarshanam, we wasted some 10 min in this melee as boards directed specifically for Divyadarshanam upto the point., the board also shows Sarvadharshanam as well. We were let inside the entry point at about 7 PM( remember our reporting time is 9PM, but we were let inside) and we must have traversed about a km or more through labyrinthine pathways until we reached enclosures 9 to 16 by 7.20 PM Each enclosure can hold about 200 people, this is we’re waiting began. We were put in enclosure 16. There were about a dozen people and it kept filling and last set of people arrived at about 9 pm. No phones and no I for stop at all, waiting is onerous and sometimes at about 9 PM there was free food provided and about 70% people rushed and had food and rested while others waited, there was no dearth of food but people still rushed and thronged. The gates opens finally at 10.15, we jostled through darshan am at 11 and finally we’re out. The wait is though the 35 second darshan am at sanctum Santorum. It’s all worth it. The buying laddus was another 30 min affair. We get one free laddu ( we also get a small prasadam laddu inside temple. We can buy upto 2 laddus per person as a mere mortal. Ofcourse there are other special support to people I am sure as I saw people join us just 30 min before final dharshan too. We left for a good dinner and started driving realized we cannot drive from 12 midnight to 3 AM downhill. We waited kn the car and finally reached downhills by 4 AM.. later half of my typing was in blind as TA doesn’t allow to see what I am typing. Apologies. My assesment id thag it takes between 2-1/2 hours to 6 hours to get darshan depending on your time of arrival into enclosure. Tjis will help you to plan for what’s up there. I felt there are better way to do waiting management.
Explorer60199757292
★1.0Wrote on 30 Nov 2023
Worst food
we booked for tirupathi . its worst experience.. food is worst come worst . hotel fr freshup is average and pls dont opt for it
Sunshine37442274846
★★★★★5.0Wrote on 13 Nov 2023
Everything is free like food, mundan, keeping shoes/mobile, darshan bus, hot water, cool water & etc
Govinda Go-vinda... Real God in good place. I had reached 10.30 pm at Tirupati Railway station & got Apsrtc bus with Rs.80/- per head. At Alipiri there was checking. Appx 35 minutes taken to reach Tirumala. We stay in outside & morning 4am queued for Accomodation with Rs. 50/- & security deposit 500/- & it is refundable when room checked out. I have noticed one thing, every places having Toilet & bathroom. Everything is free like food, mundan, keeping shoes/mobile, darshan bus, hot water, cool water & etc
sh0bna
★★★★★5.0Wrote on 8 Nov 2023
Feel blessed , experience of a life time.Thank you Balaji for calling us.Will come again.
This is a spiritual place and obviously the score 5 is for that. It was my wish to attend Balaji temple and I feel my wish is fulfilled. I was lucky to have Jaydev as my very close friend and brother who guided me through every step. Without his help I would have been totally lost. Despite being in US he introduced us to his school friend who did a lot of running around for us. As NRI we had to get there a day before and complete all necessary and donations entry fees etc. Following morning went for Darshana and wait were approx 45 mins to an hour. Nice Darshana, obviously a bit rush due to many visitors but was all worth it. Being a temple and holy place officials can be a little friendly and welcoming. Place appears well maintained and donation is required for this which lots of people are lucky to be able to do so. Public toilet require attention Overall a brilliant experience snd feel very blessed. Thank you Vamsi Sushma kaushik and Jaydev for everything ðŸ™ðŸ¼ðŸ™ðŸ¼ðŸ™ðŸ¼ðŸ™ðŸ¼
