Online package makes Tirupati trip easy

Hassle-free tour

 The TTD has tied up with AP Tourism and Jet Airways to provide the service to benefit visitors from far-flung areas who like to keep their pilgrimage hassle-free.

The tour package includes a Hyderabad-Tirupati-Hyderabad Jet Airways ticket, AC twin-sharing accommodation at Tirupati, transport, food, a guide and a Balaji Sheegra Darshan ticket.

“Now the devotees from far-flung places like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata can take advantage of the online booking for darshan of Lord Venkateswara with accommodation and local transport,“ said state Tourism Minister Vatti Vasant Kumar.

The package is available at the tourist counter at Hyderabad’s Shamshabad airport and also online for Rs 9,250 per person. The round trip takes just 36 hours and also provides an opportunity to visit the sub temples in and around Tirupati including Goddess Padmavathi temple at Tiruchanoor and the Shrikalahasti temple.

TTD executive officer I Y R Krishna Rao said the objective is to reduce the turn around period for those who did not have time, to curtail activities of touts and brokers and also reduce pressure on the administration.

The TTD recently filed cases against nearly 25 employees for alleged black marketing “arjita seva” tickets and one Joint Executive Officer in charge of VIP services , A V Dharma Reddy, was transferred after a probe.

Rao said one can even book their complaints on grievances at Tirumala and online through the SMS Complaint Monitoring. The system, inaugurated this week, accepts complaints on SMS to 9948170000.

The TTD has also tied up with Ramakrishna Math for sale of its publications, CD’s and Audio cassettes all over the country.