Aura of India: Temples of Andhra Pradesh: Tirumala, Srisailam and Lepakshi

Sunlight between the carved stone pillars of the Lepakshi temple hall

Photo: Sharad iragonda patil, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

A temple town in Andhra Pradesh, before the first bus of pilgrims arrives.

In Andhra Pradesh, a temple visit often begins with a climb: up a hill, up a flight of steps, or up a queue that started before dawn.

The hill at Tirumala

The Venkateswara temple at Tirumala, above the town of Tirupati, is one of the most visited places of worship in the world. Pilgrims come by bus up the ghat road, or on foot up thousands of stone steps through the forest. Many offer their hair as a vow, and the shaven heads you see in the town are part of the pilgrimage. The temple's laddu, a sweet given as prasadam, is famous across India. Darshan is booked online through the temple trust, and the queues are shortest on weekday mornings outside festival weeks.

The Jyotirlinga in the forest

Srisailam sits in the Nallamala hills above the Krishna river. The Mallikarjuna temple here is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the most sacred shrines of Shiva, and the goddess Bhramaramba shares the hilltop. The road climbs through a tiger reserve, and the gates close at night. Further west in the same hills, Ahobilam has nine shrines to Narasimha, the lion-headed form of Vishnu, spread along forest paths and streams.

Stone and legend at Lepakshi

Lepakshi, in the dry south-west, is a quieter stop. Its Veerabhadra temple, built in the sixteenth century under the Vijayanagara kings, has painted ceilings, carved pillars and one pillar that famously does not quite touch the floor. A short walk away, a huge Nandi, carved from a single rock, faces the temple. On the coast, Simhachalam near Visakhapatnam keeps its deity covered in sandalwood paste all year, and uncovers it for one day in spring.

Visiting

Most large temples in Andhra Pradesh expect traditional dress, and some check it at the gate. Phones are often left at counters. Tirupati has an airport and a busy railway station, and Srisailam is usually reached by road from Kurnool or Hyderabad. Vijayawada's Kanaka Durga temple, on a hill above the Krishna, is busiest during Dasara in October; regional calendars can shift the exact days.

Booking darshan at Tirumala

The ₹300 Special Entry Darshan is sold online only, on the official TTD website, for a fixed time slot. Since March 2026 the slots have been enforced strictly, so plan to reach the queue at your time, not before or after.

Ticket holders must wear traditional dress: a dhoti or kurta-pyjama for men, and a saree, half-saree or churidar with dupatta for women. Phones and cameras go into lockers before the queue. The free darshan needs no ticket but can take many hours at weekends and festivals. Many pilgrims climb to the hilltop on foot from Alipiri, at the foot of the hills.

A loop through the state

Tirupati is the base for Tirumala and for Srikalahasti, a short drive east. From there the road runs north-west to Ahobilam, where some of the nine Narasimha shrines are reached on forest paths, and on to Srisailam above the Krishna gorge. Lepakshi is easiest as a day trip from Bengaluru; its Vijayanagara carving is close kin to Hampi.

The north is a second trip. Kanaka Durga stands on Indrakeeladri hill in Vijayawada, Annavaram lies on the way north, and Simhachalam sits on the edge of Visakhapatnam. For the rest of the state, see the Andhra Pradesh guide.

Temples to know

Venkateswara temple, Tirumala: the great hill pilgrimage.
Srikalahasti, near Tirupati: a Shiva temple by the Swarnamukhi river.
Mallikarjuna temple, Srisailam: a Jyotirlinga in the Nallamala hills.
Kanaka Durga temple, Vijayawada: the goddess on Indrakeeladri hill.
Simhachalam, Visakhapatnam: Narasimha in sandalwood paste.
Veerabhadra temple, Lepakshi: painted ceilings and the hanging pillar.
Annavaram, near Kakinada: a hilltop temple to Satyanarayana.

At Tirumala, the queue moves slowly, and nobody seems to mind.

Plan your visit

Best season	October to February. Dasara at Kanaka Durga runs from 11 to 20 October 2026. Simhachalam's sandalwood festival falls in April or May, and Tirumala's festivals bring very large crowds.
How to reach	Tirupati airport for Tirumala and Srikalahasti; Bengaluru airport for Lepakshi, with Hindupur station 14 km away; Hyderabad or Kurnool by road for Srisailam; Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam airports for the north.
Getting around	Buses climb the ghat road from Tirupati to Tirumala. On the forest road to Srisailam, cars are stopped at the checkposts from 9 pm to 6 am, and buses and lorries from 6 pm to 6 am.
Where to stay	Tirupati town or Tirumala itself; the temple town at Srisailam; Hindupur for Lepakshi; central Vijayawada near Indrakeeladri; Visakhapatnam for Simhachalam.
How long to spend	A week for Tirupati, Ahobilam, Srisailam and Lepakshi; two or three days more for Vijayawada, Annavaram and Simhachalam.
Entry and timings	Tirumala Special Entry Darshan: ₹300, online only, as of October 2026. Kanaka Durga during Dasara 2026: 4 am to 11 pm. For Lepakshi and Srisailam, check before you go.
Dress and rules	Traditional dress for paid darshan at Tirumala, and phones in lockers. Cover shoulders and knees at every temple and leave shoes at the gate.

Open Sri Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh in Google Maps

Questions people ask

How do I book darshan at Tirumala?

The ₹300 Special Entry Darshan is booked only on the official TTD website, for a fixed time slot. Free darshan needs no ticket but the wait can be long.

What should I wear at Tirumala?

For paid darshan, men wear a dhoti or kurta-pyjama, and women a saree, half-saree or churidar with dupatta. Phones go into lockers before the queue.

Can I drive to Srisailam at night?

No. The road runs through the Nagarjunasagar–Srisailam Tiger Reserve, and the forest checkposts close to cars from 9 pm to 6 am, and to buses and lorries from 6 pm.

When is Dasara at Kanaka Durga in 2026?

From 11 to 20 October. Darshan runs from 4 am to 11 pm on most days, and the festival ends with the goddess taken out on a boat on the Krishna on 20 October.

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Temples of Andhra Pradesh: Tirumala, Srisailam and Lepakshi