Earlier System of Cottage Allotment was better
-Shifting of ARC to GNC is troublesome
-Rs. 70/ for three tonsures
-Improve Bus Services on Tirumala
-Could not Avail Free Darshan
Tirupati March 9

Rooms used to be allotted at CRO office earlier, that system was good. Now even after obtaining receipts at GNC, reaching out to cottages and for becomes difficult. Gained good Darshan due to advance reservation. Could not avail free darshan again on Saturday. Travel facilities at Tirumala are to be improved for visiting nearby places. Heavy money is to paid for private transport to visit the places. Money is demanded for cleaning of the cottages and Rs. 10/ per tonsuring atleast. These are the views of Srinivasa Sastry of Rajamundry.

Lets hear them in their own words..

"We arrived Tirupati by Tirumala Express on 6th February 2008 from our native. Reached Tirumala by walk. Arrangements on walk way are good. Drinking water facility and shelter facility are good. Viewed the animals on the way. Offered prayers at the statue of Hanuman. Reached Tirumala at 1 PM on Friday. Tried for accommodation immediately. We got advance reservation for Accommodation and Darshan at Rajamundry itself a month back. We reached CRO for final allotments. There started the trouble. It would be beneficial for pilgrims if rooms are finally allotted near temple and cottages. Shifting of ARC to GNC is not at all beneficial. Further buses also reach near CRO office. Now we have to go up to GNC, which is trouble some for pilgrims to climb up the children, ladies and luggage. Facilities are not sufficient there. After getting final accommodation we reached Saptagiri Guest House and rested for some time.

Rs. 70/ for three tonsures

Rs. 70/ was spent on three tonsures at Saptagiri Cottages. Paid Rs. 10/ each per tonsures as fees and had to pay Rs.40/ to barbers there. They demand Rs. 20/ per each tonsure, but we paid total Rs. 40/ only. Afterwards we availed Lord's Darshan with special darshan tickets within one hour as rush is not there.

Improve Bus Services on Tirumala

Transport facilities are required to be improved at Tirumala for darshan of nearby temples and places. Private operators charge abnormal charges as RTC ply buses to some routes only. We paid Rs. 300/ per head to visit Papanasanam, Silatoranam, Akasa Ganga, Srivari Padalu. We reached back to cottage by Saturday afternoon.

Could not Avail Free Darshan

We have stunned ourselves to learn that Free Darshan could take six to seven hours even there is no rush. Finding no alternative we have rested ourselves at the cottage. While vacating the cottages cleaning charges are demanded. After visiting Mangapuram and Zoo Park we would go back.

Our pilgrimage was very good."