Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple
Tirumala, Tirupati district · Lord Venkateswara (also called Srinivasa, Balaji, Govinda), a form of Vishnu, with consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi on his chest
The Lord of the Seven Hills, the busiest pilgrimage temple on earth, on the seventh peak above Tirupati.
The temple stands on Venkatadri, the seventh of the seven peaks of the Seshachalam hills (about 853 m above sea level), on the southern bank of the Swami Pushkarini tank. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams sung by the Alvars and follows the Vaikhanasa Agama. Around 2.4 crore (24 million) pilgrims come each year, with 60,000–1,00,000 a day, so planning revolves around getting a darshan slot, a seva ticket or a room in advance through TTD's official portal.
Timings
- Temple open: approx. 2:30–3:00 AM to about 1:00–1:30 AM (next day); darshan can run later on heavy days
- Suprabhatam: approx. 3:00 – 3:30 AM daily (not during Dhanurmasam, mid-Dec to mid-Jan)
- Sarva Darshan: Most of the day from about 7:00 AM, with breaks for rituals
- Arjitha sevas for the utsava deity: approx. 12:00 – 5:00 PM (Kalyanotsavam, Unjal, Arjitha Brahmotsavam)
- Ekantha Seva: approx. 1:30 AM per TTD's daily schedule (not open to pilgrims; earlier on Fridays)
Darshan types and costs
- Sarva Darshan (free) – Free
- Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) tokens – Free
- Divya Darshan (footpath pilgrims) – Free
- Special Entry Darshan (SED) – ₹300 per person
- Srivani Trust Break Darshan – ₹10,000 donation + ₹500 ticket per person
- Senior citizens and differently-abled – Free
- Angapradakshinam – Free (online token)
- Virtual Seva darshan – ₹1,000 (Kalyanotsavam) and other rates
Sevas and costs
- Suprabhatam – ₹120 per person (long-standing TTD rate; confirm on portal) (Daily, approx. 3:00 – 3:30 AM (report about 2:00 AM). Not performed in Dhanurmasam…)
- Thomala Seva – ₹220 per person (confirm on portal) (Approx. 3:30 – 4:00 AM; ticketed on selected weekdays (historically Tuesday–Thursday))
- Archana (Sahasranamarchana) – ₹220 per person (confirm on portal) (Approx. 4:15 – 5:00 AM; ticketed on selected weekdays)
- Ashtadala Pada Padmaradhana – ₹1,250 per person (Tuesdays; report 5:00 AM, seva 6:00 AM)
- Tiruppavada Seva – ₹850 per person (Thursdays; report 5:00 AM, seva about 6:15 AM)
- Abhishekam – ₹750 per person (also smaller offerings: Civet vessel ₹300, Musk vessel ₹150) (Fridays; report 3:00 AM, seva about 3:30 – 6:00 AM)
- Vastralankara Seva (Friday) – ₹12,250 per ticket (Fridays, with the Abhishekam (report 3:00 AM))
- Kalyanotsavam – ₹1,000 per ticket (Daily around noon (report about 10:00 AM); not held on some festival days)
- Kalyanotsavam (Virtual Seva) – ₹1,000 per ticket (confirm on portal) (Watch the live telecast on SVBC TV / online on the booked date)
- Unjal Seva (Dolotsavam) – ₹200 per person (confirm on portal) (Daily, early afternoon (report around 11:30 AM – noon))
- Arjitha Brahmotsavam – ₹200 per person (confirm on portal) (Daily, afternoon (report around 1:30 PM))
- Sahasra Deepalankara Seva – ₹200 per person (older TTD rate; confirm on portal) (Daily, approx. 5:00 – 5:30 PM (TTD daily schedule))
- Vasanthotsavam – ₹300 per person (Annual spring festival (March/April, around 1:00 PM); TTD has also run it daily in the…)
- Visesha Puja and Sahasra Kalasabhishekam – Check official site (Formerly Monday (Visesha Puja) and Wednesday (Sahasra Kalasabhishekam); TTD now performs…)
- Teppotsavam (float festival) – ₹500 per person per day (Five days a year in Phalguna (Feb/March), around 6:00 PM)
- Padmavathi Parinayam – ₹1,000 per ticket (Three days in May (Vaisakha), around 4:00 PM)
- Pavithrotsavam – ₹2,500 per person (Three days in August (Sravana), from about 8:00 AM)
- Koil Alwar Thirumanjanam – ₹300 per person (Four times a year, on Tuesdays before Ugadi, Anivara Asthanam, Brahmotsavam and Vaikuntha…)
- Abhideyaka Abhishekam (Jyeshtabhishekam) – ₹400 per person (Three days in June (Jyeshta), around 7:00 AM)
- Pushpa Pallaki – ₹200 per person (July (on Anivara Asthanam day), around 6:00 PM)
- Pushpa Yagam – Check official site (November (Kartika, Sravana nakshatra))
How to book darshan
Everything (darshan, sevas, rooms, donations) is booked on TTD's single official portal using a mobile number and a photo ID such as Aadhaar. Carry the printed or digital ticket and the same original ID.
Dress code
Traditional dress is mandatory for all darshans and sevas. Men: dhoti (pancha) with shirt/upper cloth or kurta-pyjama. Women: saree or half-saree with blouse, or churidar/salwar with dupatta. Not allowed: jeans, shorts, Bermudas, T-shirts, sleeveless tops, low-waist clothes, skirts above the knee. Children's clothes should also be modest.
Best time to visit
September – February is pleasant. Midweek (Tuesday–Thursday) is quietest. Avoid summer holidays (April–June), long weekends, Dasara/Sankranti holidays and the 10 days around Vaikuntha Ekadasi unless you have a booked slot.
How to reach
- air: Tirupati International Airport (Renigunta) is about 15 km from Tirupati and about 40 km from Tirumala; flights from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and others. Chennai airport is about 140 km away.
- rail: Tirupati Main (TPTY) station is in the town centre; Renigunta Junction (12 km) handles more long-distance trains. From the station, take APSRTC buses or taxis to Alipiri.
- road: Tirupati is about 140 km from Chennai, 250 km from Bengaluru and 560 km from Hyderabad. APSRTC Saptagiri buses run every few minutes from Tirupati bus stand and railway station up the 22 km ghat road (about 45–60 minutes). Separate up and down ghat roads; vehicles and luggage are screened at Alipiri. Two-wheelers are allowed only during set daytime hours (check current rules).
Festivals
- Srivari Salakatla Brahmotsavam – Nine days in Sep/Oct (2026: 15–23 September; Garuda Seva 19 September)
- Navaratri Brahmotsavam – In years with an Adhika masa (2026: 12–20 October)
- Vaikuntha Ekadasi – Dec/Jan (2026: expected around 20 December; check TTD notice)
- Ratha Saptami – Jan/Feb (Magha Shukla Saptami)
- Vasanthotsavam – March/April
- Teppotsavam – Feb/March
- Padmavathi Parinayotsavam – May
- Anivara Asthanam – July (Dakshinayana)
- Pavithrotsavam – August
- Pushpa Yagam – November
- Tiruchanoor Karthika Brahmotsavam – November/December