This is devotion of a different kind. It is literally an uphill and difficult task to climb the seven hills and reach Tirumala to have darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Even ardent devotees are cautious in taking the foot route. Most may do a dozen times in their life span.
But Srikakulam devotee Mahanti Srinivasa Rao prefers only the Sopanamargam (foot route to the shrine) to offer his prayers at Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala, considered to be the Kaliyuga Vaikuntham.
Faith and fortitude
Mr. Mahanti stunned everyone by reaching the temple on foot for the 203rd time this week.
Till a few years ago, he used to do so twice in a year, but it has gone up to a whopping 50 times in 2017-18. What’s more, sometiSrikakulam Ayurvedic medical shop mes he does twice and even thrice in a day. The owner says that climbing the seven hills strengthens willpower and ensures real happiness apart from getting the blessings of Lord Balaji.
“The Sopanamargam tests our Bhakti towards God. Pilgrimage to Tirumala will have sanctity and completeness only when devotees climb the seven hills which ensure moksha. Moreover, the foot routes - both Alipiri and Srivarimettu - help pilgrims to enjoy the beauty of nature. All along the route, one can find ancient structures, wonderful flora and fauna,” said the 51-year-old speaking to The Hindu .
“In normal days everyone would be busy with their day-to-day affairs. But pilgrimage on foot will be a memorable one and help them forget all their tensions. Walking 12 km on hills improves health and fitness, although it is tedious on the particular day,” Mr. Mahanti added.
Mr. Mahanti says he started the Tirumala pilgrimage in 1996 but stepped it up from 2009 when he walked 12 times that year till 2016. In 2017, he walked up to the shrine a jaw-dropping 50 times, to mark his 50th birthday.
In 2018 he climbed the hills 68 times.
His preferred route? The Alipiri mettu route lined with 3,550 steps taking him 3 hours 50 minutes to complete. Interestingly, his wife Saraswathi, son Anjaneya Rakesh, B.Tech third year student too climbed to the shrine nearly 25 times for the Lord’s darshan. Some unflinching devotion that.
