Geography: Tirupati is located in southern part of Andhra Pradesh. It has an average elevation of 162 metres (531 feet). The Tirumala Hill is 3200 ft above sea level, and is about 10.33 sq miles in area. It comprises of  seven peaks, representing the seven hoods of Adisesha, thus earning the name, Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrishabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri.

Climate: Tirupati experiences Tropical climate and is usually hot round the year. But on the Tirumala hills it is quite cool in winters. Summer - Max: 43 Min: 22 Winter - Max: 32 Min: 14

Brahmotsavam (Sep/Oct): is considered as good time to visit (auspicious moment) September to February. In general daily darshan: 6-11 a.m. Extra charges to join the shorter queue for special darshan of the deity.

The temple town of Tirupati is one of the most ancient and spectacular places of pilgrimage in India. The town owes its existence to the sacred temple of Hindu God Sri Venkateshwara, popularly known as Balaji. The famous temple is built on the picturesque Tirumala Hills at an elevation of 860 metres. According to ancient Hindu religious texts, worshipping at this temple leads to mukti or salvation from the cycle of birth-death-and rebirth which explains the large numbers of pilgrims who visit it each year. Apart from the famous Sri Venkateshwaratemple, Tirupati is also home to many other temples.

Horsley Hills, the lovely hill station of Andhra Pradesh, is the best of all. Tirupati, with the distinction of being the world's richest temple, would take you into the transcendental world of spiritual ecstasy.

Distances from hundreds of cities to Tirupati (in kms) CITY DISTANCE CITY DISTANCE CITY DISTANCE Agartala 3314 Guntur 377 Nellore 130 Agra 1859 Gurgaon 2084 Panaji 839 Ahmedabad 1725 Guwahati 2676 Paradwip 1317 Aizawl 3239 Gwalior 1764 Pathankot 2537 Ajmer 2125 Haldia 1618 Patna 2018 Akola 1062 Hasan 434 Pondicherry 317 Aligarh 1942 Hissar 2254 Porbandar 2119 Allahabad 1684 Hubli 652 Pune 1065 Ambala 2253 Hyderabad 592 Purulia 1660 Amritsar 2508 Imphal 3160 Raipur 1357 Asansol 1766 Indore 1442 Rajkot 1941 Aurangabad 1117 Jabalpur 1343 Rameshwaram 744 Bhaktiyarpur1979 Jaipur 2015 Ranchi 1749 Bangalore 247 Jaisalmer2298 Ranipettai 110 Barauni 2090 Jalandhar2425 Raurkela 1527 Barddhaman 1681 Jammu 2644 Rohtak 2152 Bareilly 2071 Jamnagar 2027 Sagar 1469 Belgaum 746 Jhamshedpur1587 Saharanpur 2192 Bellary 363 Jhansi 1667 Salem 372 Bhagalpur 1994 Jodhpur 2164 Sambalpuri 1401 Bhavnagar 1912 Jorhat 2979 Shahjahanpur 2126 Bhopal 1431 Kakinada 609 Siliguri 2201 Bhubaneshwar1193 Kandla 2090 Shillong 2776 Bikaner 2358 Kaniyakumari 835 Shimla 2404 Bilaspur 1469 Kanpur 1887 Shivpuri 1742 Calcutta 1634 Kochi 730 Silchar 3002 Chandigarh 2299 Kohima 3015 Solapur 822 Chennai 152 Kohlapur 849 Srinagar 2937 Chittardurga 449 Kota 1773 Surat 1427 Coimbatore 537 Kozhikode 602 Thane 1207 Cuttack 1218 Krishnagiri 260 Thanjavur 494 Dehru Dun 2240 Kurnool 353 Thiruvananthapuram 922 Delhi 2062 Lucknow 1958 Thrissur 651 Dhanbad 1743 Ludhiana 2366 Trichchirappalli 468 Dhule 1260 Madurai 596 Tirunelveli 752 Dibrugarh 3115 Mangalore 594 Tuticorin 731 Dimapur 2950 Meerut 2099 Udaipur 1977 Dindigul 547 Moradabad 2155 Ujjain 1574 Durgapur 1806 Motihari 2184 Ulhasnagar 1201 Ganganagar 2323 Mumbai 1228 Vadodara 1599 Gangtok 2315 Muzaffarnagar 2144 Varanasi 1809 Gaya 1967 Muzaffarpur 2193 Vijayawada 409 Ghaziabad 2080 Mysore 386 Vishakhapatnam 791 Ghazipur 1881 Nagpur 1079 Warangal 623 Gorakhpur 1982 Nanded 847 Gulbarga 664 Nashik 1267

APSRTC buses run from all the important places in the state and between Tirupati and Tirumala. TTD also runs buses between Tirupati and Tirumala, free of cost.

Tirupati is the nearest railway station. There are trains that travel via Renigunta or Gudur, but do not touch Tirupati. In such cases, Renigunta or Gudur, are convenient points to alight. From Renigunta / Gudur one can reach Tirupati by train, bus, or taxi.

Direct flights to Tirupati are available from Hyderabad and Chennai only.

Vaishnava Festivals: The town celebrates most Vaishnava festivals including Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and janmashtami with great splendor, while the Brahmotsavam celebrated every year during September is the most important festivals in Tirumala, when it receives millions of devotees over a short span of a week. Rathasapthami (Magha Shuddha Saptami) is another festival, celebrated during February, when Lord Venkateswara idol will be taken procession around the temple chariots.
Gangamma Jathara: Another local festival Gangamma Jathara is also celebrated as a major festival. The Goddess Gangamma is offered animal sacrifices and also pongal and other offerings by the devotees. She is considered as the sister of The Lord Almighty, Govinda.

The people of Tirupati speak mostly Telugu and Tamil though Hindi, Kannada and English are understood. The residents and visitors can be seen in both traditional attire like panche, Lungi, saree and modern attire. Practices of Tonsure and using Tilaka are commonly seen. Songs and prayers of Lord Venkateswara like Annamacharya kirtanas can be heard all over the town.

Tirumala  is considered to be the main religious place. The seven "sacred hills" of Tirumala are believed to symbolize the seven-headed serpent God Adisesha, on whose coils Vishnu sleeps. The temple dates to the 9th century, although it has often been expanded and renovated from the 15th century onwards.

Tiruchanur (Alamelu Mangapuram): Here, Devi Padmavathi in all her bridal glory is worshipped. It is customary to worship the Goddess here after darshan of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala. The deities of Lord Krishna and Venkatachalapati are enshrined on the 'Prakaram'. Nearby, there is a Shiva temple dedicated to Sri Parasareswara. Tiruchanur is about 5 km from Tirupathi.

Srinivasa Mangapuram: Srinivasa Mangapuram, a small village, is about 12 kms to the west of Tirupathi. Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple is located to the south-east of this village. Legends say that Lord Venkateswara, after his marriage with Padmavathi Devi stayed here for sometime before proceeding to Tirumala.

Sri Kalahasti: This ancient pilgrim centre, on the banks of Swarnamukhi river, is about 36 km away from Tirupathi. This pilgrim centre is reverred as one of the "Panchabhuta Sthalams" dedicated to Vayu (Wind God), signifying this, a Deepam keeps flickering in the sanctum. Sri Kalahasti is also considered a Navagraha Sthalam dedicated to Rahu and Kethu. The hills on either side of the temple are revered as Dakshina Kailasam or Kailasagiri. There are shrines for Lord Kannappeswara and Durgamba. The Puranic version of the origin of the temple is that a spider (Sri), a Snake (Kala) and an elephant (Hasti) worshipped the Lord here and attained 'Mukti'. Hence, the name of the Lingam Sri Kalahastiswara. His consort is Gnana Prasannamnbika. Another incident that took place on the hills is immortalized in legends and literature. A tribal hunter by name Thinna saw a priest doing Shiva Puja. The hunter became so devoted that he started worshipping the Lord in his own way by offering meat. One day when Thinna saw the eyes of the Lord bleeding, he offered his own eyes. Lord Shiva blessed him by calling his devotee KANNAPPA. In the temple, an image of Kannappa is enshrined next to Sri Kalahastiswara. The temple is known for its sculptural wealth. The deities of Balaganapathy, Annapoorni and Viswanatha are enshrined here. Pathalaganapathy is an underground cell. Adi Sankara had worshipped the Lord here and sung in praise of him in his 'Sivananda Lahari'.

Places To See: There are several picturesque sights around the Tirumala-Tirupati hills. Situated around one km from the Tirumala temple is a unique natural stone arch believed to be the source of Lord Venkateswara's idol. There are several important water-falls in and around Tirumala, namely Akasaganga, Papavinasanam, Pandava Theertham, Jabili Theertham, Chakra Theertham, Ramakrishna Theertham, Kumaradhara Theertham and Tumburu Theertham, each excelling the other in the riddance of the sins of those who bathe in them.

Spectrum of Indian Moonlight ,Indian nights have always been young. Every city in the nation has its own flavour and colour. However the party circuit has been getting hotter day by day. With a large youth portion socializing at nights has been a busy activity in major city of India. The nation serves the needs of all tastes. Nightlife in India varies from rock to traditional music. In the same city at one end you may find discs and pubs and on the other end there is a traditional music program happening at the other end. In the moonlight of the Indian nightlife is a wonderful spectrum of culture and enjoyment.

Sri Venkateshwara National Park extends over two districts of Chittoor and Cuddapah of Andhra Pradesh in an area of 353.62 sq.kms. The park is also famous for its beautiful waterfalls like Talakona, Gundalakona and Gunjana.

CD & Cassettes: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam produces cassettes  of Vedas, Sankirtanas and Pravachanamas in audio and video formats,distributes and markets.

Tirupati Laddu prasadam is considered to be famous.
 Food: Sri Venkateshwara Canteen Complex: Vegetarian meals are provided free of cost to devotees, in the Sri Venkateswara Canteen Complex daily from 10-00 hrs to 23-00 hrs. A free meal coupon is distributed to all the devotees inside the temple after worshipping the Lord.

Horsley Hills, Tirupati. Timings 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Closed on No day Horsley hills, situated at an altitude of 1,265ms is a hill resort located 151-kms from Tirupati and named after WD Horsley, who was the collector of Cuddapah district. Horsley chose this spot for his summer residence. The place is luxuriously green and cool, with a maximum summer temperature of 32°C, and minimum of 20°C. The fresh and unadulterated air, the beautiful landscape with lush green vegetation ensures a perfect peace of mind and heavenly bliss. As one proceeds towards the hills one comes across the trees of Rita, Shikakai, Amla, Beedi, Bay leaves, Sandalwood, Red sanders, Mahogany and Bamboo. Besides, there are also forest denizens like bears, wild dogs, jungle fowls, Sambar and Panthers. The Chenchu tribes inhabit Horsley hills in large numbers.

Sri Venkateswara National Park : Sri Venkateshwara National Park extends over two districts of Chittoor and Cuddapah of Andhra Pradesh in an area of 353.62 sq.km. The hilly terrain bounded by Seshachalam and Tirumala hills is rugged and beautiful with gorges, steep slopes, plateaus and valleys. The park is also famous for its beautiful waterfalls like Talakona, Gundalakona and Gunjana.

Wildlife Flora: It is dry deciduous mixed type of forest with patches of moist deciduous forest. It is famous for plant species like Sandalwood, Redsanders, Shorea, Thumbergiana, Shorea talura,Terminalia pallida, Cycas beddomei, Syzygium alternifolium etc. It has about 1500 plant species belonging to 176 families.
Mammals:The sanctuary is famous for very rare slender Lorises and the rare and endangered golden Gecko, Indian Giant Squirrel, Tree Shrew and Flying Lizards. There are other mammal species like the Nilgai, Wildboar, occasional leopard, hyena etc to be seen here as well.

Birds: There are more than 100 species of birds in Sri Venkateswaram including Crested Serpant Eagle, Ashy Crowned Finch Lark, Indian Roller, Kingfishers, White bellied Woodpecker etc. So bird watchers can look forward to a busy and happy time.
 Accommodation and facilities: Accommodation is available at Forest Rest House, Rajampet & Forest Rest House, Tirupati. Also one can avail luxury hotels at Tirupati. 
How To Get There by Air: Nearest airport is at Tirupati. Flights to Tirupati are available from Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Vijayawada. Indian Airlines, Opposite Central Bus stand. 
Tirupati By Rail: Nearest railway station is at Hyderabad and the nearest railhead is Tirupati. There are trains that travel via Renigunta or Gudur, but do not touch Tirupati. In such cases, Renigunta (just 10-km from Tirupati) is a convenient point to alight. By Road: 10 kms from Tirupati by road. The park is a three hours drive or 160 km from Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu.

Kailasanatha Kona Water Falls, Tirupati: It is a natural perennial waterfall in the valley of Nagari Hills in Chittoor district. The water here originates from a crack in a sheet rock. It is believed that the water of this waterfall has medicinal effect. Timings 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.   Closed on No Day.No Entry fee.  Duration 2 1/2 hours .

The Akashaganga Waterfalll, Tirupat: The Akashganga (Heavenly Ganges likened to The Milky Way OR heavenly river) waterfall is about 3 Kms north of the Tirumala temple. This is very famous for the prime reason is that its waters are used for The Lord's bath every day. In the olden days, the priests took turns to carry the water all the way from this part of jungle to the temple in the wee morning hours by the rough walk path that meanders through the jungle even to this day. Timings 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Closed on No day. Entry fee Rs. 10.00 Duration 5 1/2 hour.

Yellow fever: Any person (including infants) arriving by air or sea without a certificate is detained in isolation  for a period up to 6 days, if arriving within 6 days of departing from an infected area. Malaria risk exists throughout the year in the whole country excluding parts of the States of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim . No certificate required, but a course of anti-malaria pills is recommended.
Drinking water: Bottled water is available and usually provided in flasks in hotel rooms. For people with delicate digestive systems. It is advisable to use bottled mineral water, this is widely available. While visiting religious places, remove your shoes outside and respect the traditions of the place. Prefer carrying traveller's cheques instead of cash. These cheques can be easily exchanged at various money exchangers. Don't leave your personal belongings unattended. Rather than traveling alone, prefer moving in groups.

Tourist Information Centers(Govt)

1) Regional Tourist Information Bureau,
Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, T.P. Area,
Near 3rd Choultry,
Tirupati.

2) Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Corporation (TTDC),
Information Service,
Central Reception,
R.R. Office,
Tirupati.

3) Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Information Centre,
G.D. Somani Memorial High School,
Cuffe Parade,
Colaba,
Mumbai-400 005.

SBI
Near Annadana Choultry,
Tirumala,
Tirupati- 517504

SBI
SV University Campus,
Tirupati- 517502 ICICI V V Mahal Rd,
Nr Yamaha Showroom,
Tirupati- 517501

Citi Bank
Ram Bagicha -2,
Temple Premises,
Tirumala,
Tirupati- 517504

Andhra Bank
Vaikuntham Q Complex,
Tirumala,
Tirupati

A visit to Tirumala temple is a must as it is considered as very sacred temple and  Tirupati became popular because of the presence of Tirumala Temple.