Trip to Chikka Tirupathi and Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Kalakunte Cross

Destination: Chikka Tirupathi

Distance: Around 41 km

Journey time: 1 – 1 and 1/2 hrs (depends on traffic on Marathahalli & old Airport road)

Route:

There are three options to go to Chikka tirupati depending on exits from Bangalore :

1. KR Puram – Hoskote – NH 4 – 1km – right turn towards Malur – 24 km – pass through malur town – railway bridge – right turn – Chikka tirupati is 20 km from there. total distance from Hoskote – 45 km – good roads except vicinity of Malur town.

2. Whitefield road – ITPL – Hope farm circle – straight – 40 km – good / village roads / occasional pot holes

3. St John’s Hospital – Sarjapur road -30 km – pass through sarjapur town ( market / bus stand ) – left turn – 13 km to Chikka tirupati. average roads – 50 / 60 km/hr
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Shortest route to Chikka Tirupathi is via Whitefield – ITPL route and road seems to be quite decent now.

Where to eat: There is no good place to eat in and around Chikka Tirupathi. If you want to have some have it before leaving Whitefield or have after coming back.

What to see: Lord Prasanna Venkateshwara temple (Chikka Tirupathi), Lord Ranganathaswamy temple (Kalkunte) and country side.

It was a long weekend and I wanted to put it to good use. A little effort took 4 of us to Chikka Tirupathi. We left Bangalore city by 3 pm which was very late by the standard. I suggest you leave early in the morning so that you can explore other place at Malur and further.

Route taken inside Bangalore city: Old Airport road – Marathahalli – Kundanhalli gate – Whitefield/ITPL

Soon we rode past whitefield and ventured into the country side. I suggest you keep an eye on the sign boards for direction. If in doubt ask people. It was a nice country side with decent road and also the climate was on our side. I discovered a few new routes. Using this route one can go to Devanahalli (Airport), Dobbaspet (in Tumkur district), Doddaballapur, Hoskote etc.

It took us little over an hour to reach Chikka Tirupathi. Chikka Tirupathi in Kannada means Small Tirupathi temple. As it clearly says, it is a miniature version of Lord Venkateshwara temple of Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh. At the Chikka Tirupathi mini town circle take right to go to Chikka Tirupathi temple. The entrance to the compound is a white gate with the trademark Lord Venkateshwara tilak. At the entrance of inner temple area there is a big colorful gopuram. Here on the left hand side you can park your two wheeler. People will pester you to park your two wheeler with them for a fee but if you park your vehicle where I mentioned, it should be fine. You will require to leave you shoes outside. Leave them with the coconut and puja material selling vendors outside. You will have to pay Re 1 per pair of shoe.

History/myth of the temple

Agni’, the fire god, during the incineration (dahana) of the forest of herbs (khandava vana), causes burn injuries to the serpent god Takshaka. Takshaka bestows Agni with a curse that he lose his power’. A perturbed Agni went to Lord Krishna, who suggested that the way out for him is to please Lord Vishnu, who can restore his power. So Agni gets the ‘shaapa-vimochana’ by performing a penance and pleasing Vishnu. With great joy, Agni built a temple for Lord Venkateswara at Chikka Tirupathi. The lord here is aptly named as ‘Prasanna Venkateshwara’. All the festivals that are held at Tirupathi are also held here.

Photography is prohibited inside the sanctum sanatorium (where the idol is kept). The idol of lord Balaji is beautiful. As usual in most south Indian temples there is brass metal jajastambha (small metal tower). The gombuz of the temple was beautifully sculptured with various deities. Here too our monkey friends were there to greet us. But these bunch of monkeys were very intelligent. Following our darshan we left the temple by 5 pm.

On the way back we visited Ranganathaswamy temple at Kalakunte. It is located around 8 km from Chikka Tirupathi. Unfortunately the temple was closed when we visited. But here is a picture of the beautiful lord Ranganathaswamy.

On the way back we took lots of pictures as the sun was setting down on the country side horizon. We reached Bangalore by 7 pm.

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