Pilgrims visiting Lord Venkateshwara can look for some hassle-free travel and darshan with Via Bus Tours starting an exclusive package providing all the comforts, including hotel stay and darshan.
The Via bus, which is already in operation from Hyderabad, will offer services to devotees from Vishakapatnam from Saturday.
The package includes travel in a Volvo bus, hotel stay, breakfast, lunch, ‘Sheegra Darshan' at Tirumala, ‘darshan' at Padmavathi temple and return. Travel from Tirupati to the hilltop will also be taken care of.
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“The tour escort will be with the travellers all through, guide them with ‘darshan' and bring them back,” said Anil Reddy, CEO of Via Bus Tours and John Kuruvilla, CMO of Via, at a press conference here on Thursday.
The package comes at Rs. 2,450 from Hyderabad on week-days and Rs. 2,650 on Fridays and Saturdays.
The price includes the Rs. 300 ‘Sheegra Darshan' ticket. There will be 12 pick up points in Hyderabad.
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They said the bus from Vishakapatnam will start at 4.30 p.m. daily and pick up passengers in Rajahmundry, Eluru, Tanuku and Vijayawada and reach Tirupati at 5.30 the next morning.
Prices differ from each city. Water and light snacks will also be served during the journey.
They said service to Shiridi will start in January and other pilgrim centres in the State very soon.
Mr. Kuruvilla said Via ( >www.via.com ) operates in India through a network of 20,000 travel partners in 2,400 cities and towns.
The focus was on pilgrims since nearly 80 per cent of Indian domestic tourists travel to pilgrim centres.
“We will change the way people travel to Tirupati by road,” Mr. Reddy said.