Tirupati is well known for its famous shrine and is one of the most sought after pilgrimage centers of South India. The famous Venkateswara Swamy Temple is the source of attraction and this is located in the northwest part of the town at a higher altitude in Tirumala Hills 20 kilometers away from the main city. Pilgrims from all over the world gather here during festival seasons. Tirupati is also a commercial and educational hub apart from being a center of pilgrimage. There are many high quality centers of higher education established here.

Tirumala Rock Mountain is the oldest of its kind in the world. The shrine of Venkatachalapathy is the richest shrine in the world and so it is also one of the most protected ones. Tirupati has extremes of climate and the temperature drops to as much as 10 degree Celsius in winter and rises to as much as 45 degree Celsius in summer. The climate is moderate during spring and autumn season and these are the ideal times to visit.

Anyone can easily access Tirupati from any part of India because it is well connected with all the nearby towns and other major cities of India through its road, rail and air network. The central bus terminus in Tirupati is one of the biggest bus terminals in Andhra Pradesh. There is a big railway station here in which there are ten platforms. It is connected by train to all the parts of the nation. There is also a domestic airport in Tirupati which is soon to be expanded into an international terminal.

Millions of people visit Tirupati during the festivals and the festivals such as Vaikunta Ekadasi, Janmashtami and Rama Navami are celebrated in a grand manner. Some other places of interest of the pilgrims are Alamelu Mangamma Shrine, Srinivasa Manapuram and Padmavati Temple.

Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park and the Regional Science Center are the other tourist places that are worth visiting in Tirupati. This zoo is the second largest in Asia with nearly 20 tigers and a lion safari with 30 lions. It has many other rare species of plants and animals. There is a planetarium within the premises of the Regional Science Center.

There are many hotels in and around the city. The poor pilgrims who are visiting Tirupati on tight budget may stay in one of the Dharmashalas built and maintained by the temple devasthanam. These dharmashalas are free for anyone to stay. Also you can find a number of budget hotels and star hotels here but if you want to avail them during festival seasons, you need to make advance booking.

There are many good restaurants in Tirupati and the food served in them consists of Andhra cuisine. There are also many multi-cuisine restaurants here. The people from various parts of the country visit this place and these hotels serve foods according to their tastes. If you are not used to hot and spicy varieties it is better to avoid Andhra cuisine. Look at the right Tirupati travel guide to select the right Tirupati hotels and Tirupati restaurants.

Article Posted By : Sumazla  On July 26, 2012lView All Articles

I am Suhaina Mazhar working on India travel guide features. Writing is my passion, writing is my hobby and writing is my career. I want to write till the last moment of my life.

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Tirupati Travel Guide , Tirupati Hotels , Tirupati Restaurants