New Delhi: India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy visited Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati after coming back home from Australia. In the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025, Nitish made an impressive debut for India, impressing everyone with his stroke-making skills and ability to bat under pressure. He played some crucial knocks in the lower middle-order during the Test series against Australia. On his Instagram story, Nitish shared snippets of his visit to Tirumala as he went there to have the darshan of Lord Shiva through the Vaikuntha Dwaram. He went to Tirumala on foot and climbed the steps on his knees near the Mokalla Parvatham to fulfil his vow. In this article, we will tell you about the walking route to Tirumala.
How to go from Tirupati to Tirumala by walking?
Walking from Tirupati to Tirumala is a spiritually enriching experience and allows the pilgrims to enjoy the scenic beauty and make a devotional ascent towards the abode of Lord Venkateswara. There are two well-laid stone footpaths leading to Tirumala and they are called sopanamargas.
Alipiri Mettu Walking Route: This is the more ancient of the two sopanamargas which starts from Alipiri at the foot of the hills. It is about 11 km in length and is the route used commonly. Alipiri Mettu starts from Alipiri near the Tirupati foothills and it is well-maintained with covered walkways. It is the perfect choice for pilgrims who want a peaceful and safer journey to Tirumala. The total steps to cover the route is around 3,550 and it will take 3 to 5 hours to complete the journey. The route is open from 4 am to 10 pm daily.
Srivari Mettu Walking Route: Srivari Mettu is the shorter route and it beginning from Srinivasa Mangapuram. It is a shortcut for pilgrims who prefer a shorter trek. The route is steeper compared to Alipiri and it is taken by those looking to save time. The route is around 2 km in length and it will take 2 hours to 3 hours to complete the journey. It remains open from 6 am to 6 pm and tokens are given from 6 am. For this route, only 5,000 tokens are issued per day.
The facilities of TTD
The TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams) offers several facilities to pilgrims walking to Tirumala. They are:
- Free transport: TTD runs free buses from Tirupati Railway Station and Bus Station to the starting points of both Alipiri and Srivari Mettu.
- Free transportation of luggage: Pilgrims can deposit their luggage at any of the choultries in Tirupati, or at the Toll Gate in Alipiri and they will be given a token. They will get the luggage at the Central Reception Office Counter at Tirumala.
- Also, there will be facilities of drinking water along the route, toilets, and shelters for the pilgrims to rest.
- The security personnel patrol the route round the clock to prevent pilgrims from being cheated or robbed by unscrupulous elements.
- Medical assistance is available round-the-clock all along the route and there are canteens that provide refreshments to the pilgrims.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s Tirumala pilgrimage highlights the popular walking routes to the temple. This article details the Alipiri Mettu and Srivari Mettu routes, outlining their lengths, difficulty, timings, and facilities provided by TTD. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
