24 Hours Awake: A Sleepless Journey
My Journey to Tirupati
We woke up around 4 AM to start our journey from Chennai to Tirupati. Our initial plan was to have breakfast by 7:30 AM and then visit the Padmavathi Temple. It is commonly believed that pilgrims should pay their respects at the Padmavathi Ammavari Temple in Tiruchanur before proceeding to the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, as it is thought that one should seek the blessing of Lord Venkateswara's wife before meeting him.
We were behind schedule, so around 8:30 AM, we stopped at Nithya Amirtham - Tiruvallur for breakfast. The restaurant provides sufficient parking, attentive service, and delicious cuisine. I sampled the Carrot Mysore Pak, which was decent, though it lacked a strong carrot flavour. After enjoying traditional Idlis and Dosas, we set out for the temple using the map, but unexpectedly found ourselves at Padvathy College, nearly 10 kilometres from our intended location. It was almost noon and we got to know that the temple would be closed soon, we ran and half of us entered leaving sleepers near the entry gate no 6 (lucky number). A woman selling flowers generously offered us lotus flowers free of charge, as we were unable to meet her after the darshan. Fortunately, we gained access to the main temple just before it was closed, though some of our friends were unable to experience the darshan. The magnificent darshan of the goddess, who dwells in the heart of Sri Venkateswara, was truly enchanting.
Around 1 PM, we arrived close to the base of Thirumala. The pleasant weather energized us during the drive, prompting us to change into more traditional attire. Self, one of my friends and my son also participated in the custom of offering a piece of hair as a sacrifice, a gesture that many devotees view as a humble act of surrender to the deity.
Upon parking our vehicle, we entered the queue with our pre-booked ticket priced at 300 rupees around 2:30 PM, and the atmosphere filled with Jai Govinda chants was truly uplifting. As many are aware, the darshan typically takes about 3 to 4 hours, and we arrived at the main temple around that duration. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that food is now permitted, allowing us to enjoy snacks and juices, which our children happily had while actively engaging in the walk. The sight of the divine brought tears to your eyes, and you truly felt a sense of blessing in the presence of the darshan. I meditated outside the temple, amidst a large crowd, and felt a profound energy and resonance within me, akin to the exhilarating sensation after an impactful film scene or the awakening from a dream following an extensive run. I recalled my Guru's words, who gently reminded me at that moment that the Lord is above me, urging me to concentrate on Him in the present moment. An unexpected aspect following the darshan was the opportunity to meet the Swamis in a private room adjacent to the Hundi, where one could feel the divine presence of Lord Venkateswara's uncovered attire. Then, we collected our pre-booked laddus and took a few photos with the assistance of a stranger. Later she sent our pictures to us via WhatsApp.
Upon arriving at the parking area, I discovered that one of the tires was flat. Fortunately, my friends were nearby and assisted me in replacing it with the spare. Afterwards, we began our descent to Tirupati for dinner, as we had missed lunch due to time constraints and had primarily snacked throughout the day. We arrived at Gufha restaurant around 9 PM, and while the staff were courteous, their service was somewhat slow; nevertheless, the food was delicious. I had hoped to drive at night without any issues, but it appears that the jeera rice and daal made me drowsy, leading me to let a friend take the wheel and finish the last 85 km. We reached home safely around 4:30 AM.
I extend my gratitude to my friends and family who supported me throughout this journey. The experience was truly remarkable; however, I believe that booking a room for an overnight stay would have enhanced it further.
“Jai Govinda”