Tread in the footsteps of
thousands of pilgrims honouring their faith at Tirupathi, Andhra
Pradesh. The magnetic draw of this special holy place is the
historic shrine of Sri Venkateswara, the Lord of the Seven
Hills. The shrine is to be found at Tirumala, 853m up at the top
of Venkatachalam, the cluster of seven hills. The temple is
believed to have existed from ancient times, when dynasties such
as the Pallavas of Kanchipuram, the Cholas of Tanjore, the
Pandyas of Madurai and the Kings and chiefs of Vijayanagara all
vied with one another in endowing the Shrine and offering
worship to the presiding deity. The temple itself, with its
gopuram, or tower, is a fine example of Dravidian
architecture.
Pilgrims from all over India stand together all day long in
order to catch a precious glimpse of the deity, which is an
impressive and humbling sight. This tour visits the
Venkateshwara Temple in the evening, to observe the night-time
rituals of worship, prescribed by the saint Ramanujacharya and
followed to this day. The idol is annointed with camphor oil,
and many pilgrims offer the hair from their own heads as a gift
to the divine.
Before visiting the temple, you are free to discover the other
sacred offerings of Tirupathi, of which there are many. This
holy place is home to a large number of smaller temples devoted
to various idols, and is an ideal place to discover much about
the history and significant images of Hinduism.
ITINERARY
DAY 01 CHENNAI
(MADRAS) - TIRUPATHI
You are met on arrival in Chennai (formerly Madras), and
departe by car from Chennai to Tirupathi, where you transfer
to your hotel.
DAY 02 TIRUPATHI
You are at leisure to explore the temples, gardens and beautiful
waterfalls of Tirupathi. Evening visit to the sacred
Venkateshwara Temple.
DAY 03 TIRUPATHI -
CHENNAI
Return journey by car and
transfer to your hotel in Chennai, or to the station or airport
for your onward destination. Tour ends.
TOUR INCLUSIONS
Accommodation on a room-only basis.
All transfers by road including pick-ups and drop-offs at start
and end of tour.
All sightseeing tours as specified.
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