Srivari Mettu - Srinivasa Mangapuram — Attraction in Andhra Pradesh

Please do follow these comments before you plan to climb Srivari Mettu.

Srivari Mettu is 17 km from Alipiri Mettu where most of the devotees climb.

The road that leads to Srivari Mettu from one part of town (almost 5 Km) is a deserted place where you have some buses which will ply over there for every half an hour and you can also use Autos who travel this 5 KM distance.

If you are coming on your own, then you have a small parking lot where you can park your car near the foothill of this Mettu.

Be mindful of this that if you are climbing the Srivari Mettu then you have gotta come down the same steps before 4 Pm in the evening, considering there is a toll gate managed by the police (beyond the 5Km) who checks your ticket and all, they will not allow you to outgo from the toll gate after 4Pm in your own car and also beyond 4 Pm, you will not have an access to bus or auto to travel from the foothill of the Srivari Mettu to the town. (You might have to walk 5 Km and wait till morning to get your car out)

Second option, you can park your car near Alipiri Mettu, travel from there to Srivari Mettu in a bus or a auto and then climb the steps, you have buses from Tirumala to Tirupati reaching Alipiri Mettu, so if you are not coming down the steps before 4 Pm near Srivari Mettu, then you can come in late in the night till 12:00 Pm and then reach Alipiri Mettu by bus or any taxi then you can pick up your car from the parking lot near Alipiri and then head out.

Now coming back the steps, there are roughly 2800+ steps, they check whether you have a Darshan ticket in the begging of the steps. You would have almost gone half the way in your car or bus, so it's only 2.5 is what you need to climb, but let me be frank, it's not easy as it seems.

First 1000+ steps are easy to climb as it's not steep and you will not feel tired, but after that the steps are the of the same height, but it's a continuous steep you will experience as it's a series of steps going towards the top of the hill and most of the people get exhausted climbing till the top.

The steps are neat and tidy, you have workers over there cleaning them often, you have a sheet roof on the top from the beginning to the end of the steps, so not to worry on the sun or rain coming along, but be mindful if you are climbing the hill during summer, you will feel very hot as the sheet on the top absorbs the heat and while climbing the steps it's bit uncomfortable bearing that heat.

Post pandemic, you have a few shops(not actual shops, small temporary shops) that cater to juice, bhel puri, some snacks along the way. Don't compare this with the shops you have while climbing Alipiri Mettu, this is nothing compared to that. Carry enough drinking water and some snacks while climbing.

You will find some water streams while climbing the steps, please don't drink that.You can take a few snaps while climbing and you can see some monkeys entertaining you on the way.

I request everyone to please do read this before climbing Srivari Mettu as we never got this information and we're stuck at many places without the knowledge of it.

Note : Tirumala has banned the use of plastic and hence you might not get drinking water on the top (meaning bottled water), you might have to drink from the taps which they have provided to the public. But when we went to some stores near the bus stand, we saw some sealed glass bottles with water of some brand unknown to us. Better be having some stock of mineral water...

Tirumala spiritual journey...my experience of a day which was well spent in seeing Lord Venkateshwara swamy 🙏Govinda Govinda 🙏

On Friday 26.07.24 started from Bangalore @8.00 Pm from Majestic to have srivari darshanam with out any reserved tickets..reached tirupati busstand @ 2.10 am..we four people went to srinivasam where they give SSD tokens ( Sloted Srivari darshanam tockens)..to our surprise the crowd was huge...and online they have already started giving Sunday SSD tokens..all of the four ... thought of giving up on standing in lines for hours and getting tokens in Srinivasam..and planned to go to Srivari Merttu as we heard they give 4000 tokens for those who walk.....came outside. Booked an auto to Srinivasa mangapuram.. which is 18 kms..@ 3.15 am and reached by 4.00 am and from there again catched an auto to Srivari mettu..which is 7 Km ...he took us for a Kilometre and stopped as infront of us so many vehicles were stopped and the auto driver told they will leave us after 5 30 am only..as it's a forest reserve place...some where around 5.40 am and there was an auto race in the forest reserve...we reached by 6.15 am ran to the counter ...they were giving the tockens for 3.00 pm darshan and almost 1000 people have taken already tokens...we got the darshan token @ 4.00 pm...thanked God and gave the luggage in the luggage counter and started climbing srivari mettu which has 2488 steps @7.25am and reached tirumala by 9.20 am.here the important thing is that they will scan the token @ 1200 steps..(out of 2488 steps)..if you are not scanning this tocken here they will not allow for darshan in the top....waited for the luggage till 11.00 am picked the luggage..went to yatri sadan near CRO complex for Locker ..now the Leg Pains started ..as we completed 10000 steps 😉..Got the Locker at 11.30 am had bath and after getting ready at 1.00 am started to go for darshan...went and had Swami vari annaprasadam in Tarigonda vengamamba satram ..at 1.30 pm ...went in to the SSD tokens line @ 1.45 am...they told us to come at 2.30 as our darshan was at 4.00 pm..We waited ..they left us around 2.40 pm full narayangiri they made us go...in between went through scanning and security checks..we reached the compartment no 13 @ 3.00 pm ...waited till 4.30 pm and after that he opened the gates for darshanam...Had a wonderful darshan of swamy in Ananda nilayam @ 5.40 pm for a minute ....came out of the temple @ 6.10 pm ...ran towards Laddu counter...got 3 laddus only as they are giving for person 2 extra laddus only ( was thinking that I can get 10 Laddus) went to another counter and got 2 Laddus...came out of laddu counter @ 7.15 pm ...went straight to Anna prasadam...had annaprasadam..came back to locker @8.00 pm ..catched bus opposite Yatri sadan only which was going to tirupati at 8.30 pm ( was unable to move the body and mind was not in control state as I was leaving God with in a short span of time )..reached tirupati at 9.30 pm ..we 2 who were coming to Bangalore catched a car @ 10.30 pm and reached majestic by 4.00 am.. early morning.. reached house by 4.30 am... Govinda Govinda 🙏 appeal pls don't go to tirumala with kids and elders with out having a advanced darshanam tickets..that too on the weekends...I have visited previous in December 2023.. happy to see that TTD and present government has done lot of changes.and hope TTD comes up with more ...Sarvejana sukhinobhvanthu..Loka Samastha...

We climbed the 2388 steps in one hour thirty min. ( this was along with my wife and my kids)

The steps are clean. People don't wear footwears.

There is car parking space outside the Srivari Mettu gate. I think it is safe to leave your vehicle there(we also left our vehicle). After completing the Darshan post climbing the steps, we retuned and drove in our car.

There are toilets available and are maintained clean.

Inside Srivari Mettu compound, there are hotels that sell refreshments drinks. Also, along the steps there are shops that sell fruits, tea, butter milk

I would recommend carrying two bottles of drinking water...

It is said, Sri Venkateshwara Swamy used this way to travel to the top of the mountain. Alipiri is the recently formed route, whereas Srivari Mettu is from the olden days and is formed because Sri Venkateshwara Swamy used to travel this way.

Note: Post Covid, they have stopped giving Tokens for the devotees walking up the hill. After you climb the hill you need to join the Free Darshan line(without token).

After you walked through the Free Darshan line, you would reach to a compartment where your face will be scanned and a Darshan token will be issued to you. After then you will be guided to a compartment to rest. While you enter the Compartment, you will be provided with food. The compartment gate will be opened depending on the crowd and the Turn of the compartment.

We went climbing up the steps. We got the token at 11am, rested in the compartment for an hour(till 12pm), then when the gates opened, we kept walking no rest in any additional compartment and could get Sri Venkateshwara Sway Darshan by 1:15pm.

People will get one Laddu per token for free Darshan. You should buy additional Laddu by paying respective amount based on what size Laddu you choose. There are two size of the weighing 50 - 70g(Rs 50) and 800-900gram(Rs 200). Tirumala Laddu the Special.. you would Enjoy the Taste !!

Happy...