Tirumala by Walk 

We 3 i.e. Bhaktavatsalam, Swaminathan & Rajmohan decided to climb up the hill on April 13th at 12.50 A.m and reached up the hill at 5.30 A.m , these are the photos we took by mobile camera while climbing up the hill, the last snap is next to the chariot we saw an elephant and beautiful rangoli.

For those of you who would like to climb the hills to Tirumala to fulfil a vow, there are two well-laid stone footpaths leading to Tirumala. These paths are called "Sopanamargas" (stairways).

The more ancient of the two Sopanamargas starts from Alipiri at the foot of the hills, is about 11-km in length, and is the commonly used route. The other Sopanamargas is from Chandragiri, though only about 6-km in length, it's a difficult route and is mainly used by the local people and traders. TTD also provides several facilities for the pilgrims who walk up the hills to Tirumala.

FACILITIES FOR PILGRIMS TTD or Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam manages the affairs of the temple, the well-being of the pilgrims, the upkeep of the environs in and around the Tirumala hills and sponsors several undertakings that are religious, charitable, social and educational in nature.

The TTD provides ample conveyance and halting facilities to thousands of pilgrims. Many pilgrims climb the hill by walk to fulfil the vow they have taken. Facilities like shelters, drinking waters, toilets, canteens, medical facilities etc are provided for a quick and relaxing walk uphill.

|| Om Namo Venkatesaya ||

Gangamma Temple ,

Boyakonda or Boyikonda

Gangamma Temple is one among them and is on top of a hill named as Boyakonda. The locals call it as Boyikonda. It is a good trek up the hills and the top gives a nice view of the plains below and the surrounding hills.

The famous hill located in between Madanapalli - Punganur - Chowdepalli called Boyakonda, came into prominence in the recent years. Because of location of the famous Gangamma temple on the top of the hill, attracted by more than 20,000 devotees per day, mostly from karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. People will visit this place for praying Gangamma for getting the grievances redressed. The devotees will ask the Ammavaru for flower (Pushpam Aduguta) to know whether their vows will be fulfilled or not.

Glittering gift: The new diamond crown for the Thathayagunta Gangamma temple.

TIRUPATI: A diamond-studded golden crown is ready to adorn the deity of Thathayagunta Gangamma, the folk Goddess of Tirupati, who is revered as the younger sister of Lord Venkateswara.

With the annual ‘Ganga Jatara’ just round the corner, the temple management hastened up the process and got ready the Rs.71 lakh crown well ahead of the week-long festival. The crown, made at the TTD’s jewellery section, weighs 5.375 kilograms of gold with 580 diamonds.

Apart from the Rs. 12 lakh borne by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the cost of the diamond was met from voluntary contributions from the public.

The glittering crown was taken in a procession to the Venkateswara temple at Tirumala on Wednesday by the TTD chairman B. Karunakar Reddy, along with executive officer K.V. Ramanacharyspecial officer A.V. Dharma Reddy .

The crown will be consecrated and adorned for the first time to the presiding deity after the traditional ‘Abhishekam’

In all devotion: Draped in neem leaves, a woman devotee enters Thathayagunta Gangamma temple in Tirupati.

TIRUPATI: ‘Gangamma Jatara’, the folk festival of Tirupati came to a colourful end at the Thathayagunta Gangamma temple here on Tuesday midnight. The slaying of the clay idol of Gangamma in the early hours of Wednesday marks the culmination of the annual festival.

As is the practice, local people started pouring into the temple right from Monday night and spent the whole of Tuesday in the temple and its vicinity.

The interesting feature of the final day is the mode of travel to the temple. Though the most preferred way to the temple is on foot, irrespective of the distance from their residence to the temple, the devout take a more strenuous route by performing ‘Sashtaanga Namaskaram’ on the road throughout. They roll a coconut on the road and when it stops, start falling to the ground with stretched hands and legs offering prayers. The process continues till they reach the temple.

Common practice

Another practice in vogue among women is the draping of neem leaves and twigs from the shoulders to the anklets, which serves as a dress. Women, irrespective of age, don the dress and offer prayers at the temple as a fulfilment of vows.

Many Muslim women too paid obeisance at the temple early in the morning, showing that Gangamma is revered irrespective of caste or religion.