[sathya_j2084]

hello,

If someone has visited the new golden temple near Vellore,Tamil Nadu please suggest me the route after reaching vellore from chennai.Also suggest me the timings that would be convenient to go to the temple

thanks.

[sathya_j2084]

Originally Posted by sathya_j2084

hello,

If someone has visited the new golden temple near Vellore,Tamil Nadu please suggest me the route after reaching vellore from chennai.Also suggest me the timings that would be convenient to go to the temple

thanks.

has no one visited the vellore golden temple yet? if yes,plz do give me few suggestions.

[manavdotcom]

HI After you enter Vellore, ask from Sripuram.It's approx 7 km from Vellore and you can see few Hoardings showing the temple.The place is open from 8AM to 8PM. So you have no timing issues.They have organised it well and a good parking place is provided.You can't carry mobile/camera etc inside temple and leave it all in the car.

Temple is amazing ! In night they have provided the Lighting as well and should be worth watching in night/Evenings.

[sathya_j2084]

thanks manav!! could you tell me on how long (average time,on a weekend) does it take time to have darshan there.

[manavdotcom]

Max 1 hour. Not very popular temple as yet. Still some construction work is going in the boundry, etc and Only after many people see , it will become popular.

[pramodhrao]

if there is anyone who has driven down from Bangalore, could you please suggest me the route and also any other places nearby to visit over a weekend/2 days. Any recommendation on acco will also be greatly appreciated.

[pariwar]

A long awaited desire of the better half got fulfilled on 2nd of April with a visit to the Sri Lakshmi Narayani Temple (aka Golden Temple) on the outskirts of Vellore.

The salient feature of 'Thirupuram' is the Lakshmi Narayani temple whose Vimanam and Ardha Mandapam is covered with pure gold, housing the deity Sri Lakshmi Narayani (female consort/wife of Vishnu Narayana). - source Wikipedia

Approximately 220 kms from Bengaluru (depending on where you start) the temple is best attempted to be reached in the early evening hours so that once darshan is completed one can hang around till after sunset and watch the glow of the temple once the lighting is switched on. We attempted to and reached there at approx. 4.30 p.m. The temple closes at 7.30 p.m.

Typing "Golden Temple Vellore" is enough to catch Google Maps attention for the directions to reach you there. It is approx. 15 kms off the Bengaluru-Chennai Highway, the turn taken after Pallikonda Toll Booth and much before reaching Vellore.

On the way, a sumptuous lunch was completed at Anantha Bhavan in Hosur (you have to get off the bypass for a 50m distance and can rejoin a little ahead).

Paid parking is available at the temple complex as well as free parking outside the temple. We paid ₹50 for the temple parking for 4 hours. It is advisable to leave footwear and mobiles in the vehicle itself, though there are separate deposit counters for both of these outside the temple.

Options for entry include free entry, ₹100 entry & ₹250 entry per person. Free entry crowd was witnessed in the serpentine queue as we entered the temple complex to park and hence immediately opted for the ₹100 entry. The ₹250 entry merges with the others slightly ahead of the pack.

The devotees walk in a star shaped pathway which has ample & covered walking space, to reach the main temple. The pathway is around 1.5 kms. Along the way there are sufficient free drinking water stations, stalls selling food & liquids and fairly clean toilets (considering the number of visitors).

Besides the main deity there is another deity wherein you can enter the sanctum sanctorum (men need to remove their upper garment here) and do a snana abhisheka of the deity (available only for the ₹100 & above entrants). Once the main deity darshan is completed the exit is reached quickly through a series of shops selling all kinds of clothing, accessories, handicrafts, idols & photos. A prasadam is provided before your walk culminates in quite an interesting canteen which has reasonably priced snacks & drinks.

We hung around the pathway after completing the darshan to see the glow of the gold after sunset and it is indeed a wonderful spectacle to behold.

Our return journey began at about 7.30 p.m. and with a stopover at Murugan Idli, Krishnagiri (for the best 'podi idli' that is available in this part of the world).

A holiday and an evening well spent.

[simplyself]

We had visited the Golden Temple in December, 2019.
The temple is well maintained, and the land scaping is good. Overall ambience is good but what irked me was long distance of queue line even when there are not many devotees. After the Darshan, one is directed to stalls where merchandise is on display, for sale

[Awaz]

We recently made a day trip to Vellore and included a visit to Golden Temple, just a 10 min drive from the Jalakanteswarar Temple. Being first timers were guided into Premium Parking which costs Rs 50 per car for 4 hours. There is another parking a short distance away which we saw at the time of exit, not sure if it is free or has a nominal charge. Premium parking is compact but within short walking distance to all amenities like Helpdesk, Cloak Room, Chappal Stand, Water Dispenser, Ticketing counters and Queue entrance.

Learnt that the next free entry slot was at 4:30PM while we were there at 3PM. We went for Paid Darshan tickets costing Rs 100 per head (kids under 10 not reqd to buy tkts). There is also a Rs 250 per head ticket which entitles a shorter queue at the entrance as well as at the main temple.

Masks were mandatory only at the Queue entrance, not enforced thereafter. People not carrying will have to buy at a nominal Rs 10 for a disposable surgical mask (they disallow covering with a handkerchief). Boys/Men were not required to remove their upper body clothing unless you want to go to areas beyond normal areas for common public. Cameras/Mobile Phones are not allowed and strictly checked, we had seen the banners well ahead and so we dumped them in our cars. Shorts/Bermudas not allowed but we were prepared with Dhotis.

Water bottles are allowed but they got exhausted too soon. There were drinking water faucets arrangements along the way but warm water was flowing out which was not a pleasant experience. You can buy water bottles though at some places along the walkway. The walk to the main temple premises is long, senior citizens have an option to hire wheelchair (not sure about the charges) and also skip the octagon shaped walk around the main temple if they want to (entry mentioned as for Handicapped only).

Some places have jute carpet strips to protect from hot flooring, some other places have a white paint strip that you walk on. It is surprisingly not that hot unlike the flooring stones just adjacent to the paint. Some stretches have none and you have to make a dash or get a taste of the Sun god.

There was pushing and jostling at the main sanctum sanctorum, kids, women folks and senior citizens are to be taken care by able bodied persons. We were in and out in about a little more than an hour with the crowd slowly building up behind us. The glow on the temple gopura is a sight in the afternoon sunlight. It was glittering gold. There is plenty of greenery all around, clean, with spiritual messages in many languages along the way as you walk. Constant chanting of mantra on the PA system also calms the mind.

One stretch at the start of the queue lane runs behind a dining area due to which there is a disgusting stench and eyesore. We could walk briskly and overcome it quickly. If there is a waiting queue, this could become overbearing for some.

Your exit is stretched due to numerous stalls selling some or the items that you HAVE to walk through without escaping. I think we were exhausted due to the heat and the walk and had no patience left to be forced to walk through them. More concerned for senior citizens who are forced to step up and step down the steps at the stall entrance/exit unnecessarily with no ramp option. Another personal opinion, I disliked a photoshoot stall run by the temple org when personal phones/cameras are not allowed, whatever the justification is/was. It felt more like a tourist attraction than a temple.

[saisree]

Golden temple is a tourist spot rather than a temple. Runs purely on money. Would advise people to refrain from going to this place unless you want to see a golden temple down south.

[HTC]

Originally Posted by saisree

Golden temple is a tourist spot rather than a temple. Runs purely on money. Would advise people to refrain from going to this place unless you want to see a golden temple down south.

Aptly said.
I heard a lot about this place and rode till Vellore. From ticketing till prasada - everything is money. I felt like a fool driving all the way from bangalore to see some self styled godman putting his larger than life cutouts and statues of himself and actual God or Godess relegated to small picture or status sitting on his lap.

Such a contrast to Amritsar's golden temple. Had wonderful experience there. Looking at people doing voluntary work, I took a broom and swept one length of corridor and felt great !!