Tirupati Balaji Darshan with Family

Hailing from a Tamil Brahmin family in Chennai, all my family members, including me, are ardent devotees of Lord Tirupati Balaji. We travel to Tirupati Balaji before every auspicious occasion.

Recently, my family planned a trip to Tirupati to seek the blessings of our divine deity when my father decided to start a new business. Given the ongoing pandemic situation, we skipped our train journey and booked a top-rated Chennai to Tirupati car rental with an experienced driver.

The Place

Tirupati, an old town at the southernmost tip of Andhra Pradesh, is a pilgrim’s heaven. The place is well-known for its numerous Hindu shrines, the most esteemed being Tirupati Balaji or Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple. Like us, devotees from far and wide in India and abroad visit this temple every year to seek the blessings of Lord Venkateswara Swamy.

As it was late when we reached here, we planned to visit the temple premises the next day, early morning. Immediately after entering the temple premises, we heard the chants of Om Namo Venkatesaya| Om Namo Venkatesaya| Om Namo Venkatesayathatexuded positive energy and filled our hearts with divinity.

The Spirit

While standing in the queue, I listened to the non-stop, chanting, and glanced at the high security, mad rush, heavily ornamented temple architecture and the exhilarating aura around the deity that made everything about Tirupati Balaji temple alluring.

This Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple is one of India’s famous religious landmarks and remains thronged by hundreds and thousands of people perennially. Also, spread across a massive 26.75 square km of area, Tirupati Balaji temple is the most affluent temple in the Indian subcontinent, given the number of donations offered to the Almighty every year.

The part that I love most about the Tirupati Balaji Temple is that it provides free food to the pilgrims, including hair tonsure buildings and pilgrim accommodation centres. Apart from visiting the famous Tirupati Balaji temple, some other temples we visited in Tirupati were:

Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple

Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple is another most prominent temple complex in Tirupati built in the 11th century by Ramanuja. According to folklore, the presiding God efficiently used King Kubera’s wealth to accomplish the magnificent marriage of Padmavathi Ammavaru and his younger brother Lord Venkateswara.

Every year, thousands of devotees visit this place to seek God’s blessings as they believe that praying here can help them manage their wealth efficiently. Also, the Dravidian-style ancient architecture of this seven-storied Vaishnavite temple is a stunning view to behold.

Srikalahasti Temple

Srikalahasti Temple is possibly one of the most admirable temples in South India devoted to Lord Shiva. After visiting this temple, we found that this ancient shrine, engraved out of a monolithic cliff, is well-known for being one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams. Here people worship Lord Shiva as an embodiment of five core natural elements.

All in all, my visit to Tirupati Balaji was the most memorable spiritual experience I ever had. I can never forget the evening stroll in the semi-crowded street and the chanting of Om Namo Venkateshaya mantra still reverberates in my ears.

The prime idol at the Tirupati Balaji temple fascinates the onlookers with its holy presence. In between, adherents hollering ‘Govinda’ with ecstasy made me experience devotion and tranquillity and filled my heart with spirituality.

So, if you are planning a trip to Chennai anytime soon, I highly recommend visiting Tirupati Balaji temple by booking reliable car rentals in Chennai for the most mesmerising spiritual experience.