Govinda Govinda!
- padmajamenon60
- Oct 3
- 2 min read
Since quite a few years now, I had been wishing to go to Tirupathi and get the darshan of Lord Venkateswara or Balaji as he is fondly referred to. My dream came true this month . Sindhu was able to secure us a Darshan on the 27th. My joy knew no bounds since 27th of August was also my birthday. Pramod, Sindhu, Shaili and I reached Thirumala on the 26th travelling by road from Bangalore. We had booked rooms there. We went out in the evening just to get a feel of the place. Being in the vicinity of the temple itself gave me an inner peace. We walked around in a relaxed manner taking in the sights. Different varieties of rice preparations are served as prasad to devotees outside the temple and we had the same, which served as our dinner. We went to bed early since Sindhu had to wake up around 2.00 a.m and go to the temple to offer the Shayana pradakshinam or the lying posture circambulation which was a vow that she had taken. With God's grace she was able to complete it and later all four of us went to the temple.
There we had to wait in queue. The queue was very well organised. There were places to sit down, drinking water was available at every turn, food was also provided if needed. However, maybe because Vinayaka Chaturthi also fell on the same day, with people busy celebrating at home, there wasn't much of a crowd and we reached the last lap of the queue within no time. I'll never forget my first sight of Lord Venkateswara as the queue took the final turn. Since the idol is quite big, we get to see from a distance itself. As I drew nearer and finally stood before him my eyes were filling up. The Lord looked so beautiful, all decked up with jewellery and flower garlands. The security people were trying to pull me away but I stood firm and prayed with all my heart. Bliss, was what I felt in the moment. Later, we purchased the famous laddoos for people back home. In the afternoon we visited the Padmavathi temple at Thiruchanur of Thirupati city. Goddess Padmavathi known as Alamelu manga, is the consort of Lord Venkateswara and an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. The temple's architecture is awesome, a mix of the Pallava and Chola styles.
It was with a feeling of sadness that we finally bid goodbye to the divine city, retracting our steps to Bangalore. But our hearts were full of joy
-PR
30/8/2025
Pappachechi, beautifully penned.Lord Venkateshwara in Tirupati, as you described, is indeed an eternal marvel of architecture — divine and beyond words. My perception is that when one approaches any creation, be it a deity’s idol, a monument, or even a simple structure, with true humility, sincerity, and eagerness, the first sight itself becomes overwhelming.
I have travelled across India and witnessed countless temples, monuments, and divine sculptures — each one seen through the lens of thoughtfulness and reverence. Every encounter left me with a deep sense of awe and inner satisfaction.
But alas… that same sense of wonder rarely extends to human beings — those who walk beside us today and those who once did.