[NPV]

Originally Posted by shifu

Hi guys, I am planning to go to Srikalahasti temple and Tirumala over a weekend with wife and kid. I would like to do the puja at Srikalahasti in the morning, so planning to take a flight from Hyd on Fri eve and go straight to SriKalahasti that night. Will do the puja early morning on Sat, and then go to Tirumala the same day (if time permits), or on Sun early morning. Then I'll take a flight back home on Sun evening/night.

The customary sequence is to first visit Tirumala and then visit Srikalahasti. Please check on this with your contacts. I think it's better to stay at Tirupathi and use services of a cab to commute to kalahasti.
Hotel Bhimas is good, there are 2 of them, please check.

[shifu]

Originally Posted by NPV

The customary sequence is to first visit Tirumala and then visit Srikalahasti. Please check on this with your contacts. I think it's better to stay at Tirupathi and use services of a cab to commute to kalahasti.
Hotel Bhimas is good, there are 2 of them, please check.

I see. Thanks for your response. I had actually planned the same, but when I looked up various packages online, most of them have Srikalahasti first and Tirumala next.

Sample itinerary-

[NPV]

Originally Posted by shifu

Sample itinerary-

I visited kalahasti couple of years ago after a gap of 2 decades and found that it is not the small time place that it was back then. Very crowded, Pooja timings and procedures not clearly signaged, etc so our experience was that it works efficiently with the services of a 'broker' and there are many of them around, do consider that.

Coming to the customary sequence, I was told that at Tirumala, one should first visit the Varahaswamy temple near Pushkarini (pond) and then visit the main sanctum of Lord Venkateswara. I'm not sure if too many people know or follow this.

[daretodream]

Sharing experience of VIP-break darshan on morning of 26th August.

Key Highlights:

1. Darshan was done in 1 hour 30 minutes- from reporting to exit.
2. All other devotee queues are stopped to enable VIP break darshan. Hence, the temple complex is almost empty. A place usually occupied by thousands of devotees has only few dozen devotees
3. No Pushing/pulling by TTD volunteers for devotees in VIP darshan
4. Devotees get darshan from very very near to statue and get to spend more time praying
5. After darshan, you can spend time in serene and peaceful complex
6. No queue for Hundi donations as well.


We reported at Vaikuntham Queue Complex-1 at 6:15 am and were immediately allowed in. We were led to some rooms where we sat till 06:45am.

This queue joined directly to the bridge over the Mada street and walked freely till Main entrance. We waited for 10 minutes here as authorities vacated the temple complex of all devotees. Once the temple complex was empty, our queue moved again and we directly entered the sanctum-sanctorum.

In Normal Darshan, once inside the sanctum sanctorum, devotees can go closest till the gate with Jaya-Vijaya statues on either sides and then take left-turn to exit the sanctum sanctorum. All this while you are pushed by volunteers to keep moving

We were allowed to go very very near to the statue(way past the Jaya-Vijaya statue gate), spend some time there praying to god. Then we took U-turn to come back to Jaya-Vijaya entrance and then exit. There is no pushing by volunteers- though they request to keep moving.

The larger complex is so empty and serene and we spent 15-20 minutes sitting there after Darshan.

There was no queue for Hundi donation. It was a walk-in!
After darshan, we took prasad (sweet pongal) and we exited.

When exiting the main complex, I saw that the regular darshan queue had arrived and kept waiting there at Main Complex entrance. They were allowed in only when all members of VIP darshan queue exited the complex.

The darshan ticket costs Rs 500 per head and we used our network to get VIP recommendation for this darshan.

[rajivr1612]

Originally Posted by daretodream

Sharing experience of VIP-break darshan on morning of 26th August.

Not to demean your achievement, but this is precisely the reason why I like the system in Sabarimala more.

[GrammarNazi]

Originally Posted by daretodream

Sharing experience of VIP-break darshan ...
We were allowed to go very very near to the statue(way past the Jaya-Vijaya statue gate), spend some time there praying to god. Then we took U-turn to come back to Jaya-Vijaya entrance and then exit. There is no pushing by volunteers- though they request to keep moving...

Thats upto the door of the Garbhagriha. AFAIK Regular devotees used to be allowed in there only 35-40 years back. Please do treasure this privilege you've availed.

Btw, Are VIPs able to avail the sweet-Vada Prasadam, or is it the regular ladoos ? Thanks for sharing the experience!

[ravib]

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

Thats upto the door of the Garbhagriha. AFAIK Regular devotees used to be allowed in there only 35-40 years back. Please do treasure this privilege you've availed.

Btw, Are VIPs able to avail the sweet-Vada Prasadam, or is it the regular ladoos ? Thanks for sharing the experience!

It wasn't till 35-40 years back. I remember seeing the god so close in mid to late nineties. IIRC only from early 2000's is when things changed quite a lot.

For VIP break darshan too, the prasadam given near to Silver gate(Vendi vaakili) is same as others. No special prasad.

-Ravi

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

Thats upto the door of the Garbhagriha. AFAIK Regular devotees used to be allowed in there only 35-40 years back. Please do treasure this privilege you've availed.

Originally Posted by ravib

It wasn't till 35-40 years back. I remember seeing the god so close in mid to late nineties. IIRC only from early 2000's is when things changed quite a lot.

True. I have gone inside beyond Jaya Vijaya statue upto two more doors in 300 rupee ticket as well. This was around 5 years back during the Telangana riots. Until two years back, the queue system was unpredictable. Sometimes all the devotees would be let inside, while during other times they werent. Later I heard that it was crowd based, and followed by Tuesday only policy of letting people beyond JV.

Lately, they have stopped this practice totally, except for arjitha seva of Archana, Thomala Seva, Suprabhatha and Break darshan. Walking into the garbha griha beyond JV gives a different feeling altogether. Not sure if its because of the way the place is built or the chilling AC after fighting shoulders with people .

The movement of people inside JV slows down the entire queue and since the door is narrow, only one pair of people can enter and exit simultaneously. Hence, the system is not possible for the regular mass of people who avail darshan. By adding separators in the final queue, they have managed to channel people and move three persons simultaneously which has increased the speed of the queue lately.

By the way, if one wants a peaceful darshan of the lord, then he/she should choose the middle line. There is no one to push you in this line and you can move at your own pace and complete the darshan. The left and right lines are manned heavily and one is bound to get pushed in a factory style thus having a very rough darshan

[daretodream]

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

Thats upto the door of the GarbhagrihaPlease do treasure this privilege you've availed.
Thanks for sharing the experience!

Thanks! This experience will remain etched in our memory for ever!

Originally Posted by GrammarNazi

Btw, Are VIPs able to avail the sweet-Vada Prasadam, or is it the regular ladoos ?

Originally Posted by ravib

For VIP break darshan too, the prasadam given near to Silver gate(Vendi vaakili) is same as others. No special prasad.

Yes, we got same prasad - Sweet Pongal.
The other queue in prasad was given puliyogare(tamarind rice).

We got 3 laddus per VIP ticket (against 2 Laddus in Rs 300 ticket)

[dass]

Originally Posted by daretodream

[b]

The darshan ticket costs Rs 500 per head and we used our network to get VIP recommendation for this darshan.

Are these tickets online and who is considered to a VIP? Is it only the political class or anyone else?

[ravib]

Originally Posted by dass

Are these tickets online and who is considered to a VIP? Is it only the political class or anyone else?

These are not available online for public. You "need to know" people which is what @daretodream mentioned as network, in order to get the tickets. They will buy tickets and will escort you for VIP Break darshan.

There are 3 levels of ticket available. L1, L2 and L3.
L1 and L2 tickets will get Aarathi darshan when you stand in front of god.
L3 tickets won't have aarathi darshan AFAIK, but can see the god in closer proximity for little more time compared to normal Rs. 300 tickets.

The number of tickets are also in ascending order as per Levels. So L1 ticket holders will get darshan first for more time, followed by L2 and then L3.

-Ravi

[dass]

Originally Posted by ravib

These are not available online for public. You "need to know" people which is what @daretodream mentioned as network, in order to get the tickets.

that is exactly my question. Who are these people that we need to know? Politicians, TTD officials, Police.. who? how do they get these VIP tickets?

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by dass

that is exactly my question. Who are these people that we need to know? Politicians, TTD officials, Police.. who? how do they get these VIP tickets?

From what I read in TTD recently, here is the protocol:

Level 1: VVIPs, High level officers in Govt, top offficials of TTD and family
Level 2: TTD Employees, Mid level officers in Govt, persons recommended by people in L1, or Ministers of State etc
Level 3: VIPs, recommendations by state MLA, MP etc.

Not sure about how exact this info is, but the category varies depends upon 1. The rank of the person availing the darshan, 2. The rank of the person recommending the darshan to a third party.

[srimath]

Originally Posted by ravib

These are not available online for public. You "need to know" people which is what @daretodream mentioned as network, in order to get the tickets. They will buy tickets and will escort you for VIP Break darshan.

There are 3 levels of ticket available. L1, L2 and L3.
L1 and L2 tickets will get Aarathi darshan when you stand in front of god.
L3 tickets won't have aarathi darshan AFAIK, but can see the god in closer proximity for little more time compared to normal Rs. 300 tickets.

The number of tickets are also in ascending order as per Levels. So L1 ticket holders will get darshan first for more time, followed by L2 and then L3.

-Ravi

Originally Posted by audioholic

From what I read in TTD recently, here is the protocol:

Level 1: VVIPs, High level officers in Govt, top offficials of TTD and family
Level 2: TTD Employees, Mid level officers in Govt, persons recommended by people in L1, or Ministers of State etc
Level 3: VIPs, recommendations by state MLA, MP etc.

Not sure about how exact this info is, but the category varies depends upon 1. The rank of the person availing the darshan, 2. The rank of the person recommending the darshan to a third party.

The privileges of the VIP ticket changed.

L1 darshan is the only one with Aarti. Aarti has been removed for L2. And L3 is similar to any other darshan, only the time taken is less.

L1 was earlier only for Protocol VIPs like Members of Legislature, Parliment, Governors, IAS, IPS, IFS, District Judge and above in the Judiciary.

Today, L1 / L2 / L3 for a non protocol person depends on the level of Influence.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by srimath

The privileges of the VIP ticket changed.

L1 darshan is the only one with Aarti. Aarti has been removed for L2. And L3 is similar to any other darshan, only the time taken is less.

L1 was earlier only for Protocol VIPs like Members of Legislature, Parliment, Governors, IAS, IPS, IFS, District Judge and above in the Judiciary.

Today, L1 / L2 / L3 for a non protocol person depends on the level of Influence.

Thanks for the update @srimath. Surprised to see that Aarti is removed for L2.
Any idea, from when this was changed?

-Ravi