A Virtual tour

A Virtual tour

As we can't go outside, we will use our mind as a flight and travel to any part of the world we wish to see, again!

So, now I'm planning to take you with me to a

Temple.

My favorite temple Tirupati where the 7 hills are the Lord himself. Rishabadri, Anjanadri,Garudadri, Venkatadri, Narayanadri,Seshadri,Neeladri. The Ariel view shows us the Lord lying down.

He has approved all our Visas by granting us his darshan. Whenever you're low, whenever you feel what's life, a visit to Tirumala will bring you the necessary change in life! Its also said HE has to decide when we should meet him and our plans won't work unless he thinks the same!

As we enter the divine hills, we see people walking towards the hill. As small as toddlers to senior citizens, many people climb the hills to have his darshan! Their grit and resilience touch upon us.

As we proceed to the entrance of the queue, the building where all the devotees are lined up, we hear HIS divine name, the euphoria touches us too. We follow the queue chanting his names or singing or dissolving into inner silence.

We now move near the temple. The fragrance of Laddu invites us and to the right is the big statue of Bavaji who played dice with the Lord himself. We take a left turn and after bag scan, we go to the main entrance where cold water touches our feet thereby cleaning our feet. We religiously follow the line and go near the silver gate.

The magnificent Dwaja stambam, the golden dome at the entrance with the divine grass, garlands welcome us.

As we go inside the silver gate, we see the golden dome adorning the centre of the temple with people saying loudly Govinda. I imagine this is how it will be after my death. Everyone in line to go,near him.

As we go closer, the golden door, the last one that will take us to him is wide open. There are 3 queues now. We can go in any one that will take us closer to HIM. All these are immaterial if we are closer to HIM in our mind.

To our right is Garuda whom we first pray to grant us a great darshan and the divine fragrances of camphor and other puja articles makes the ambience divine. The yellow coloured light makes us believe we are in a different world. We don't remember who came with us, we keep moving step by step.

From Dwarapalakas, we see HIM the ONE who made us, who is the charoiteer of our minds and we happily forget everything, standing before him. Before we recollect what we want to ask him we are gently pushed away to the to the exit!

If we are lucky, our tickets can take us inside, crossing the seven doors! Like Suprabatha seva which is the closest you can go near HIM, adorning just a garment without the accessories!

Guys are also lucky if they can recite prabandham, they can go along with Jeeyar swamy and get the closest darshan!

From top to bottom, his beauty mesmerises us and we are not sure if we are breathing! Once outside we ask our company( our family or friends who came with us) how was the darshan?!

After praying to HIS mother Vakulamalika, we goto see the Vimana Venkateswara, where the lord is seen in silver ornament on the Gopura, ie the dome, then swamy Ramanuja and Lord Narsimha, the circumambulation is done! We are now ready to go out of the temple.

Then we go out to collect the free prasadam outside, to quench our hunger. I always prefer to go on empty stomach and the first food that goes inside is this Prasadam.

Whatever prasadam is made, only curd rice goes near the sanctum of the Lord,that too in a mud pot!

After getting this, we move out slowly on the red carpet that's slippery due to the ghee used for Prasadam. As we come out, we can again see the huge balance used for Thulabaram and near the way out a crowbar is still hung to this day which was used by Ananth azhwar who had set up a garden exclusive for HIS flowers.

As we move out, we come back to our routine life and its challenges but with an energised battery, ie our,soul. Each of us get that energy depending on our deserving. We feel assured as if the Lord says I'm with you, Go on..

As we take our vehicle and move out, a huge board says "Punardarshana praptirasthu",meaning May you again have his darshan! How profound!

Until our next darshan, we can play and replay,this video inside us whenever we need HIM.

If you remember some points that I have left, its nothing but my ignorance and,hence kindly excuse me!

May the Lord bless us all and welcome us again to his abode, very soon.

-Vishnupriya.