Chennai Tirupati Divya Desham Yatra

Highlights & Route

Chennai city and the highway to Tirupati together hold a surprising number of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples sung by the Alvars. This five-day yatra starts in Chennai, where you visit the Parthasarathy temple of Thiruvallikeni and the Kesava Perumal temple of Thirumayilai along with Mylapore’s famous Kapaleeswarar temple, and then moves north-west through Thiruninravur, Tiruvallur and Sholinghur to Tirupati. The final day is kept entirely for Tirumala and Tiruchanur, so that the Venkateswara darshan is not squeezed between drives.

Each temple on this route has its own flavour: the sea-side Parthasarathy temple with its moustached Krishna, the healing tank of Veeraraghava Perumal at Tiruvallur, the hill shrine of Yoga Narasimha at Sholinghur with its long flight of steps, and the vast queue complex at Tirumala. We time the Chennai temples around their afternoon closing hours and keep the Sholinghur climb optional for those who prefer to stay below.

The yatra is designed for yatris flying into Chennai and flying or training out from Tirupati, which avoids a return drive. Hotels are in Chennai (two nights) and Tirupati town (two nights). We arrange the vehicle, stays, breakfast and dinner, and guide you on booking the Tirumala darshan slot; the darshan ticket itself is booked on the TTD portal in your name.

Route

Chennai (Thiruvallikeni, Thirumayilai, Mylapore) → Thiruninravur → Tiruvallur → Thiruputkuzhi → Sholinghur → Tirupati → Tirumala → Tiruchanur → Tirupati

Good to know before you book

• Tirumala darshan tickets (Special Entry Darshan and free Sarva Darshan slots) are booked online on the TTD portal, ttdevasthanams.ap.gov.in, in each yatri’s name with ID. Slots open in advance and go fast; book as soon as your dates are fixed and we will guide you through it.
• Traditional dress is expected at Tirumala and Tiruchanur: dhoti or trousers with a shirt for men, saree or salwar kameez for women. Shorts and sleeveless tops are not allowed.
• Most Chennai temples close between roughly noon and 4 pm, so mornings and evenings are used for darshan and the midday hours for travel and rest.
• Sholinghur’s Yoga Narasimha temple sits on a hill with about 1,300 steps; it takes 45 to 60 minutes each way and is optional. The Yoga Anjaneya shrine on the facing hill is visible from below.
• Mobile phones, cameras and leather items are not allowed inside the Tirumala temple; lockers are provided near the queue complex.
• Chennai is hot and humid for most of the year; November to February is the most comfortable period.