The Tirupati Experience

June 2012

My grandmother often asked me to visit Tirupati which I was not so keen. I hated to sit for 6 long hours in the bus through the night with almost no sleep. This wouldn't have been the case if I were visiting any other landscapes in India.  After refreshing in a hotel, taxi dropped us at the end of a long snail moving queue around 10.30 a.m into a fence which reminded me of a Lion’s cage in circus!  Outside the fence  was a total noise pollution environment of people talking, vehicles, recitals on the speakers and amidst all this, few people had managed to have a sound sleep on the other side of the fence. I silently wished if I ever could get that lucky to have a sound sleep atleast one night in a silent room back home! 

Not very keen, but always wondered and finally made up my mind to check the reality which almost every other person talks about.  Despite my leg pain, I made my mind to visit this place. However, in a corner of my mind my granny's words echoed if there could be any miracle as she says! Any small issues she often mentioned I should go once to Tirupati!

At about 2pm, I was excited after seeing scanners and counters where we need to pay and enter, but my excitement was short lived, as I heard we were only half way through and needed few more hours to reach inside.  As no phones are allowed inside, this can be considered one of the best places to spend quality time with the folks you go with. Balancing left and right leg throughout, all that was going in my mind was OMG,

 ‘I think it is fine to come once. ummm again? I don’t think so!’

‘My legs are going to be in worse condition and I will not be able to move on Monday morning’, also thinking of an excuse to take off Monday!

Finally, with a great sigh of relief around 4.30pm at the huge entrance I was   pushed, pulled & stamped no. of times to witness God ‘Venkateshwara at Tirumala’ for the first time in my life.

A glimpse of few seconds, I forgot what I was there for! I felt as if a supernatural powerful person stood up, right in front of me, and it was like my body, mind and soul was set with a refresh button! It was a MAGNIFICIENT and a MAGNETIC feeling! Speechless and thoughtless!  

I now realize why thousands throng and wait for hours/days to just have a glimpse for a second or few! Wonder why this place is not still declared as one of the wonders of the world.  I am not a religious person, however, proud to say ‘IT WAS ALL WORTH IT’ and maybe think of visiting AGAIN!

Back home as scheduled on the Monday morning; when my physiotherapist asked how is my leg pain? Oh! I couldn’t feel as much pain as I had felt 3 days ago though I had expected the worse!

Could this be an exercise which my body needed of standing, pushing, pulling required to reduce the pain or is this a MIRACLE?!

I am still confused...