17 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Tirumala

At a distance of 1 km from Tirumala Bus Station, Lord Venkateswara Temple is an ancient and sacred temple dedicated to Sri Balaji, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Tirumala is the richest and most visited temple (of any faith) in the world. Tirumala is an ideal sacred getaway from Chennai to spend a weekend.

Tirumala, abode of Sri Venkateswara (also known as Balaji), is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage centers in India and it attracts millions of devotees every year. The temple is situated atop the Tirumala Hills which consists of seven peaks known as Sapthagiri at an altitude of 3,200 feet. The seven peaks represent the seven hoods of Adishesha, the serpent on whom lies Lord Vishnu. The temple lies on the seventh peak -Venkatadri.

The temple of Lord Venkateswara was built by the Tamil king Thondaimaan. The Pallavas of Kanchipuram (9th century), Cholas of Tanjore (10th century), Pandyas of Madurai and Vijayanagara Kings (14th & 15th centuries) regularly visited the temple .....

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At a distance of 2 km from Tirumala Bus Station & 2.5 km from Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple, Sila Thoranam is a natural rock formation in the shape of an arch and it is the only one of its kinds in Asia. This is located close to Srivari Paadalu which is the highest point of Narayanagiri. Sila Thoranam is one of the best places to visit in Tirumala.

Sila Thoranam literally means garland of rocks. It is commonly known as Rock Garden. It is a natural stone arch which was found by archeologists excavating this area in 1980. This natural arch has two different types of rocks which are connected by a link. The arch like rock formation with a length of 25 feet and a height of 10 feet is said to be formed by weathering and wind erosion. The formation is categorized as pre-Cambrian and dates back to millions of years ago. The age of the rock itself has been estimated to be about 2500 million years, and the age of the arch is computed to be about 1500 million years.

It is said that .....

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At a distance of 4 km from Tirumala Bus Station & 5 km from Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple, Srivari Paadalu (also called Tirupada - Holy feet of the Lord) are located at the highest point of Narayanagiri and is situated near to Sila Thoranam. It is one of the important places to visit in Tirumala.

As per the mythology this is the place where Lord Venkateswara first set his feet on Earth. The foot print is available here and devotees visit this place at the top of Narayanagiri hill for the divine sight. The beautiful Tirumala temple complex and town is completely revealed from this spot. Near Tirupada there is a garden with a Shiva temple. The Srivari Paadalu now is protected with glass frame on a firm stone platform and pilgrims can't touch the foot prints.

The road to this place from the main temple of Tirumala is very scenic with dense forest filled with green vegetation. There are several cabs available to this place from the main temple, both shared and private. Pilgrims .....

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At a distance of 3 km from Tirumala Bus Station & 5 km from Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple, Akasa Ganga is a sacred waterfall on the foothill of Venkatadri Tirumala. The waterfall is about 5 km from the main Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple and the Tirumala Nambi family is allowed to carry the holy water from the waterfall to the temple. It is one of the popular Tirumala places to visit.

This holy theertha is found it's rendering in the Vedas and it is believed that Akasa Ganga Teertham originates from the lotus feet of Lord Venkateswara. In ancient days, the priests of the temple carry the water all the way from this part of jungle to the temple in the morning hours. This custom is still continued today, though limited to special occasions. Recently, water lines were laid into the Lord Venkateswara temple to carry the water from Akasa Ganga for regular rituals of the deity.

Bathing in this water is really refreshing and is said to wash away the evils and confer good fortune. .....

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At a distance of 15 km from Tirumala and spread around Tirumala Hills, Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 353 Sq. kms, over Kadapa and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh. Established in 1989, the park is a heaven for nature lovers with unfathomable valleys and striking waterfalls, surrounded by Seshachalam and Tirumala Hills. The waterfalls is also a great place for trekking and it's a nice place to visit from Chennai as a weekend getaway.

The wide range of fauna found here includes Tiger, Civet, Jackal, Black Buck, Panther, Spotted Deer, Ibex, Sloth Bear, Bonnet Monkey, Wild Dogs, Bison, Jackal, Fox, Rare Golden Gecko, Jungle Fowl, Indian Giant Squirrel, Tree Shrew, Flying Lizards, Nilgai, Wildboar, Occasional Leopard and Hyena. Fauna comprises of more than 100 species of birds, including Crested Serpant Eagle, Ashy Crowned Finch Lark, Indian Roller, Kingfishers, White bellied .....

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At a distance of 71 km from Chittoor, 413 km from Vijayawada, 556 km from Hyderabad, 763 km from Vizag, 134 km from Chennai and 259 km from Bangalore, Tirupati is a pilgrimage city in the extreme southeast of Andhra Pradesh in Chittoor district. It is often referred as a synonym to Tirumala (called as Tirumala Tirupati), which is a sacred temple town famous for Sri Venkateswara Temple also known as Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple. Tirupati along with Chandragiri is an ideal Chennai getaways for a two day trip and also one of the top Andhra Pradesh tourist places.

Tirupati is one of the most ancient and sacred pilgrimage sites in India. Tirumala, the home of Lord Venkateswara is at a distance of 22 km from Tirupati. However, Tirupati is the town and transport hub to Tirumala at the bottom .....

Distance (From Tirumala): 20 Kms
Trip Duration (From Tirumala - Including Travel): 1-2 Days
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Situated at a distance of 2 Kms from Tirumala Bus Station & 3 km from Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple, Chakra Theertham is the site for a water body near Sila Thornam and is associated with an interesting legend. According to the legend, Lord Brahma wanted to observe penance and to clean this place, Lord Vishnu plunged his Sudershana Chakram, thus creating a crater. It is one of the famous places of sightseeing in Tirumala.

Visiting this site is considered as good as touching the Lotus Feet of the Lord, which will deliver the devotees from their travails. The waterfall here is an amazing sight to behold and is the location where the idol of Lord Venkateswara is brought during the Brahmotsvam celebrations.

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At a distance of 1 Km from Tirumala Bus Station, Pushkarini is a huge lake adjacent to Sri Venkateswara temple. Some pilgrims bathe in Pushkarini before entering the main temple.

The Pushkarini was originally in Vaikuntam and belonged to Sri Maha Vishnu. It was set on Earth by Garuda for the sport of Sri Venkateswara. The mukkoti of Pushkarini (the merging of over three crore teerthams in Swami Pushkarini) occurs on Mukkoti Dwadasi (the twelfth day of the fortnight of Dhanur Masa). Therefore, it is believed that bathing in the Swami Pushkarini on this day, is equivalent to bathing in the holy river, Ganges.

On the western bank of the Swami Pushkarini is the Sri Varahaswami temple, while on its southern bank is the Sri Venkateswara temple. The wooden-float festival (Teppotsavam) of Lord Sri Venkateswara in the month of February/March and Avabhrudhasnanam or Chakrasnanam during Brahmotsavam takes place in the Pushkarini.

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At a distance of 1 Kms from Tirumala Bus Station, Sri Varahaswami Temple is located to the north of the Sri Venkateswara Temple on the banks of Pushkarini. According to legend, Tirumala was originally Adi Varaha Kshetra and it was with his permission that Lord Sri Venkateswara took up residence here.

According to Brahma Purana, pilgrims should first offer naivedyam to Sri Adi Varaha Swami before visiting the Sri Venkateswara Temple. According to Atri Samhita (Samurtarchanadhikara), the Varaha Avatar is worshipped in three forms, Adi Varaha, Pralaya Varaha, and Yajna Varaha .The idol of Sri Varahaswami here is that of Adi Varaha.

Timings: Not Available

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At a distance of 1 Kms from Tirumala Bus Station, Sri Bedi Anjaneyaswami Temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman is located on Sannidhi Street, opposite to the main temple.

In the Vaishnavite tradition, it is customary to have either Garuda or Anjaneya opposite the main temple. The idol of Sri Anjaneya here is shown with its hands folded in supplication (the Anjali pose). Sri Anjenaya is a devotee of Sri Rama, just as Garuda is of Sri Maha Vishnu.

Abhishekam is performed every Sunday and special offerings are made on Hanuman Jayanti.

Timings: Not Available

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The TTD Gardens are a group of ornamental, landscape and flower gardens occupying an area of 460 acres in Tirupati and Tirumala.

There are four nurseries at Tirumala at Travelers Bungalow area, Gogarbham Dam area, Sri Padmavathi Guest House area and Divyaramam area wherein ten lakh plants are propagated annually. Hybrid varieties of crotons, hibiscus, and bougainvilleas have been released through hybridisation and mutation and named after great personalities.

The great Vaishnava acharya Sri Ramanuja and his disciple Sri Anandalwar are believed to have been responsible for starting these gardens in the 14th century. Legend has it that the Tirumala flower gardens were cultivated by Sattada Sri Vaishnavas under the name of Dasa Nambis who made flower garlands for use in temples in Tirumala-Tirupati.

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At a distance of 1 Kms from Tirumala Bus Station & situated close to Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple, Sri Venkateswara Museum is a good place to understand the history and architecture of Tirumala temple. It is located near Vaikunta Queue Complex 2 of Lord Venkateswara Temple. It is one of the popular attractions in Tirumala.

Established in 1980, the Museum wing houses numerous religious artifacts of pooja utensils, along with the time-honored art and architecture. This place has meditation halls for the worshipers to make a peaceful meditation.

Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM.

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Situated at a distance of 5 km from Tirumala Bus Station & 5 km from Lord Venkateswara Temple, Papa Vinasam is a pretty small waterfall whose waters are treated sacred and have healing powers. As the name denotes, Papavinasam is the place where all the devotees frequent with the belief that a holy bath would redeem them from their sins. Separate dressing rooms are available for both men and women. It is one of the popular attractions in Tirumala.

Since the waterfall is gushes from the top of a hill, it looks picturesquely awesome. Access to this lovely falls through the stony footpath also makes your trip quite enjoyable. Another fabulous site is the reservoir of the nearby dam, which restricts the water flow in the pond. A well maintained park and a garden attributes the charm of the scenic surroundings pretty well.

There are several cabs available to this place from the main temple, both shared and private. This place needs some walking for 5-10 mins.

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Situated at a distance of 12 km from Tirumala and 7 km from Papavinasanam, Thumburu Theertham holds the story of a gandharva who cursed his wife for her laziness. As per the legend, the lady became a toad who had to survive in the pond till sage Agasthya came there with his disciples. While the great sage described the divinity of the pond to his disciples, the toad regained her Gandharva form and hence this teertham began to be called as Tumburu teertham. It is one of the popular places to visit in Tirumala at a distance of 12 km from Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple.

It can be reached by 7 Kms walk from Papa Vinasanam & Kalyani Dam point through stony path. Generally the route is open to public every year on Palguna Poornima in the month of March. There are about five waterfalls on the way to this place.

No food/water is available on the way to this place, so you should carry some.

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At a distance of 37 km from Tirupati, 113 km from Chennai, 291 km from Bangalore, 375 km from Vijayawada and 552 km from Hyderabad, Srikalahasti, popularly known as Kalahasti is one of the ancient and most important Shiva Kshetras situated in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Srikalahasti is famous for Srikalahasteeswara Temple (referred as Srikalahasti Temple) built in 10th century. The entire temple was carved out of the side of a huge stone hill. Srikalahasti is among ideal weekend getaways from Chennai city for a two day trip and also one of the top places to experience AP Tourism.

Srikalahasti got its name from three words - 'Sri' meaning a spider, 'Kala' meaning a serpent and Hasti meaning an elephant, as these three creatures are believed to have worshipped Lord Shiva at this place and attained salvation. It .....

Distance (From Tirumala): 55 Kms
Trip Duration (From Tirumala - Including Travel): Half Day to Full Day
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At a distance of 49 km from Bakarapet, 64 km from Tirupati, 120 km from Horsley Hills, 192 km from Chennai, 241 km from Bangalore and 89 km from Chittoor, Talakona Falls are situated in Sri Venkateswara National Park near Nerabailu Village of Yerravari Mandal of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. The gorgeous waterfall falling deep into a valley from a height of around 270 feet makes it the highest waterfall in Andhra Pradesh and also one of the top Tourist places in Andhra Pradesh. It is also one of the popular waterfalls near Bangalore.

The waterfalls are placed amidst dense forest surrounded by natural beauty and greenery. It is believed that the water of Talakona Falls is enriched with herbs with healing powers. Talakona was declared as Bio-Sphere Reserve in 1990 because of wide .....

Distance (From Tirumala): 69 Kms
Trip Duration (From Tirumala - Including Travel): Full Day
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At a distance of 71 km from Tirupati, 13 km from Chittoor, 175 km from Chennai, 181 km from Bangalore, 50 km from Vellore, 59 km from Sripuram, 420 km from Coimbatore and 575 km from Hyderabad, Kanipakam is a village and pilgrimage center located in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Famous for the Varasiddhi Vinayaka Temple (Kanipakam Temple), Kanipakam is one of the top Andhra Pradesh places to visit. This is one of the ideal weekend getaways near Bangalore & Chennai for a day trip and a major pilgrimage site in Andhra Pradesh.

This village lies close to Karnataka & Tamil Nadu border on the banks of Bahuda River. The temple was constructed in the 11th century by Chola king Kulothunga Chola I and was expanded further in 1336 by Vijayanagara Kings. Kanipakam temple is a rare temple with a self-manifestation (swayambhu) idol of Lord Ganesha.

The .....

Distance (From Tirumala): 82 Kms
Trip Duration (From Tirumala - Including Travel): Half Day to Full Day
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