Tirupati to Brussels Flights

  About Tirupati

Tirupati or Tirumala as a lot of people call it, is one of the most visited temples in India. It's also one of the richest shrines in the country. Tirupati is the place of worship for Lord Balaji or Sri Venkateshwara, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. Hundreds and thousands of devotees visit Tirupati daily to offer their prayers. It is a tradition among a lot of people to shave their heads and offer their hair at his feet to seek his blessings. It is believed that Lord Vishnu incarnated on earth as Balaji to save mankind from all the troubles in Kali Yug. People wait for hours in a queue to get a glimpse of God and offer their prayers. The temple is located on seven hills in Andhra Pradesh, which is yet another speciality about the temple. Though Tirupati is majorly known for its religious significance, there is a lot more than you can do here.

You can visit the Sri Venkateswara National Park after your darshan. The beautiful landscape and view of the valleys will take your breath away. The Sri Venkateswara National Park was built in 1989 and was declared a National Park in 1998. The national park is home to a lot of exotic animals like the Nilgai, Flying Lizard, Hyena and Golden Gecko. You have to pay a certain price for tickets to enter the park and spending some time here will definitely be a treat to the eyes and the mind. If you are in Tirupati with your family and kids, the little ones will definitely be delighted to spot the animals. In addition to this, the holy place also boasts of a Deer Park. You'll find different species of deer and might even get to feed them. You'll find solace from the crowd and spend some time with nature and nature's best here.

You can also immerse in the holy waters of Papavinasam Theertham. It is believed that taking a dip in this holy water will rid you of your sins. Just being here calms your mind and takes you to your happy place. You will also find a lot of waterfalls like the Talakona waterfall, Vaikuntha theertham and so on. There will be several places in the complex where you can sit and meditate. The early morning aarti is one of the most overwhelming and divine feelings. The chants and devotional mantras echo through the hills early in the morning. Swami Pushkarini lake is also a highly recommended place to visit in Tirupati.

Though you will have to adhere to certain decorum and rules when visiting the temple. A strict dress code to wear something traditional must be followed in the temple vicinity. You are also not allowed to consume alcohol or non-vegetarian food while you are in the temple premises. Not to mention, the queue can tend to get on your nerves, so avoid getting into any fights or heated arguments. You will not be allowed to bring any of your gadgets like the camera or phone. While a lot of people believe that shaving their head off and donating their hair is essential, it entirely depends on you and whether you want to do it. It will be fairly easier for you to find and book a hotel in Tirupati.

Best Time to Visit Tirupati

September to February is an ideal time to visit Tirupati. This is when the city experiences winter and the weather is quite pleasant during the day. It can get quite nippy in the night and early mornings can be quite chilly though. The summer will be pretty unpleasant to handle since the southern part of India does experience scorching heat during April and May. It rains in Tirupati from July to September, and while monsoon does make the weather quite pleasant, it won't be the best time to climb the hill even by a car or bus.

Places to Visit in Tirupati

Apart from the main temple of Tirumala Balaji, it is also mandatory to offer your prayers at Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple. It is believed that your prayers will not be complete unless you pray to the Goddess, and according to scriptures, it is important that you pay respects to the Goddess first before heading to Tirumala. Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple is not very close to Lord Balaji's temple. After offering your prayers at the Sri Venkateswara Temple, you can visit the Srivari Museum to know more about Tirupati's inception and how it became one of the most popular temples in the country.

Head over to Papavinasam Theertham to take a dip in the holy water. It is believed that it will wash away your sins, and it also calms your mind instantly. It's the sheer sanctity of the place that makes you embrace your spiritual side. Tirupati is also home to many exotic animals. The Sri Venkateswara National Park houses animals like Hyenas, Nilgai, Golden Gecko and more. You can visit the National Park with your family or alone. You must also visit the Deer Park that has deers of different species, and they're quite friendly, too. If you're lucky, you might get to feed the deers.

Take a tour of the Srivara Museum. You'll get to read more stories about the inception of the temple and the Gods and Goddesses. Since the temple is located on seven hills, each hill has been named after a God or devotee of mythological importance. There is Vrushabhadri, which is also called as the Hill of Nandi, the biggest devotee of Lord Shiva and also an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Anjanadri is the Hill of Hanuman, Neeladri is the Hill of Neela Devi, Garudachalam is the Hill of Garuda, Seshadri is the Hill of Sesha, Narayanadri is the Hill of Narayana and Venkatadri is the Hill of Venkateswara.

There are also a lot of sub-temples and shrines that you can visit along with the Sri Padmavathi Ammavari and Sri Venkateswara temples.

Things to do in Tirupati

Find a spot in the temple after your darshan and just sit in peace to meditate for a while before you make your itinerary. Do not forget to take the famous Tirupati laddoo that is served as the prasad. The temple also serves puliogare, a savoury rice, that is also served as the prasad. The temple city can get noisy, so get away from the hubbub of the crowded places and visit one of the famous waterfalls. You can quietly sit and admire the nature around you. The serene aura of the place and the breathtakingly beautiful scenario makes for the perfect place to take pictures, too.

The National Park and the Deer Park make for the perfect locations to put your wildlife photography skills to the test. While a lot of people rent a car or take a bus to get up to the hill, some even walk or climb all the way up. Though some do it because they love a nice trek, a lot of people do it out of pure devotion to the Gods. Don't just go to Tirupati to offer your prayers to God but also make the most of it by getting to know more about the place and visiting all of the other places mentioned here. Being close to nature is also one of the best places and moments to introspect or to just leave all your worries behind and live in the moment. You will surely be able to leave all your worries behind and be optimistic effortlessly once you visit Tirumala.

Food and Restaurants in Tirupati

While there will be no non-vegetarian food served within the temple premises or on the hilltop, you will find restaurants serving non-veg food a little away from Tirumala. Andhra Spice and Hyderabad House are some of the popular restaurants that serve non-vegetarian food. It goes without saying that it will be quite easy to find South Indian food in the area, and the food will not disappoint you one bit.

How to reach Tirupati (Transportation)

By Air

While there is no international connectivity of flights directly, the domestic flights frequently run to and from Tirupati Airport. You will get pretty good flight deals and cheap flight tickets, too, if you book at the right time. Don't forget to look for offers on flights online. You can also land at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad and take a bus or hire a cab from the airport to Tirumala.

By Rail

Tirupati Railway station is connected to domestic routes like Bangalore, Chennai, Vishakapatnam and Madurai. Renigunta station is also quite close to Tirupati and an easier way to get to Tirupati.

By Road

You will find multiple bus services that run from cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and every part of Andhra Pradesh to Tirupati. It is advisable to carry a few medicines or chocolates with you if you suffer from motion sickness because the way to go up the hill is going to be full of twists and turns.

  About Brussels

As the de facto capital to the European Union, Brussels is a city that celebrates Flemish culture with exquisite architecture. The city is blessed with rich Gothic and Baroque-styled architecture that adds to the beauty of Brussels. The city is the capital of Belgium and has influences of the Dutch and French as it was once a colony. Brussels is one of the populated cities in Belgian and enjoys the status of being the wealthiest city in the country. Brussels has also turned into an important political and financial centre on international levels. The city is bilingual with citizens speaking both Dutch and French. However, the population leans more towards the French language.

Brussels is blessed with some exquisite UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Grand Palace. While the city has some of the finest architectural bliss to witness, it's the food and beer culture that caters to a wide population of tourists. The Belgian witbier is a famous crafted beer that has been recognised worldwide. Even the waffles made by the Belgians have received honour and stature in the culinary industry to be the best. Booking a flight ticket to Brussels is quite convenient, as is living in the city. There are many options for a backpacker or even a luxury traveller to be entertained as Brussels does accommodate all kinds of travellers.

The hotel rooms are also cheap, provided you make some prior bookings and ensure to get your travel expenses sorted beforehand. It's all about planning perfectly.

Best time to visit Brussels

Spring and fall are the best seasons in which you can visit Brussels. The months March to May and September to October, see Brussels in new lights. With the onset of summer, the city rings in various music festivals as the climate is drier in comparison to other times. With the temperatures falling between 10 degree Celsius to 15 degree Celsius, the chill breeze roaming the city paints quite a romantic picture. This is also a favourable time to visit for many tourists, making flight tickets to Brussels slightly expenses. Even accommodations take a hike with tourists from the UK, Netherlands, Germany and other parts of the neighbouring cities visiting the city. Mainly, people flock over to Brussels to revel in the carnival hosted in the city. In the month of May, the city hosts Iris Day Festival and Brussels Jazz Weekend. These festivities often pique the interests of tourists who wish to engage in the carnivalesque celebrations. During this time, flight tickets to Brussels see a spike, as does the accommodation. The best thing that would make sense for you is to book your flight tickets and hotels in Brussels, months ahead. You might also receive some cheap flight deals online.

September to October sees the temperatures fall to the mid-60s. The atmosphere is quite breezy and beautiful, which makes travelling within the city a good trip. In September, Brussels hosts the Brussels Comic Strip Festival as well as Belgian Beer Weekend. These festivals are attractive, they don't bring in as much crowd as one would hope. Travelling to Brussels from India during September and October would be quite fun as the temperatures are lovely. Plus, with less crowd, the accommodation also sees a drop, giving you ample options to choose instead of settling for some hotel in Brussels.

Place to visit in Brussels

Brussels is blessed with some very European tourist attractions. From the Belgian Comic Strip Museum to the Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, many places in the city would give you the tourist vibe and at the same time will pique your interest. To start with, the first on your list should be the Grand Palace, a royal Gothic and Baroque-style structure that has even been tagged by the UNESCO World Heritage Site. While you're around this area, you can also visit the attractions close to the palace such as St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral. The famous Manneken-Pis, literally a bronze statue of a small boy relieving himself, is a landmark that should definitely be witnessed. The city also has a museum dedicated to musical instruments called Musical Instruments Museum. It's quite a fancy place to visit as it houses 1,200 instruments extracted from around the world. You should also check out archaic Renaissance-inspired arcade Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubter, which is also popularly called 'umbrella of Brussels' in the city.

Things to do in Brussels

At Brussels, there are two things that you simply cannot miss, waffles and beer. The country is famed for its Belgian waffles and Belgian witbier. You can either go separately on an excursion to check out waffles and beers, or you can mix it up in one tour. Brewery hopping is certainly something you would enjoy as you will get to taste some of their finest crafted beers. A day at the theme park, Mini Europe, will do you good. You can take a day trip to the theme park and get to see miniature versions of all the famous European tourist attractions. Plus, their chocolates are another trip to the factory that deserve to be explored.

Food and Restaurants in Brussels

Brussels sees an interesting amalgam of flavours from the French and Dutch style of cooking. Needless to say, mussels also play an important role in their cuisine. Their dish for summer, mosselen-friet, is a lovely melange of mussels and fries, something that would definitely go down well with you. One of the main reasons why summer is ideal to try this dish out is because it is the harvest season of mussels, which means you will be blessed with some lip-smacking fresh mussels on a plate. Much of their cuisine gives seafood a lot of emphasis. Garnalen krokkettenm, one of their dishes, is basically varied types of teeny grey shrimp put together with rich béchamel sauce and served with bread. While seafood does take centre stage in their cuisine, the Belgians do know how to cook good meat as well. You will find some impeccable thick beef stew which is often cooked with beer. Speaking of which, beer plays a staple to their meals just like Belgian frites (fries), and stoemp is to their evening meals. They simply cannot do without the presence of potato and beer.

Talk about Belgian food, and you simply cannot miss waffles and chocolates. They definitely know how to make people go weak in the knees with their savouries. The country is literally recognised for the waffles made by them. While you will see various toppings put on the dessert, the best is the classic Belgian waffle with whipped cream and probably Nutella. Some patisseries don't even add these toppings and let the customer experience the true nature of a lovely plain and crispy waffle. For the classic Belgian food interspersed with French cuisine, head straight to Maison Antoine. As for some more interesting take on Belgian recipes visit Pistolet Original, Au Vieux Marché, Le Clan des Belges, Noordzee Mer du Nord, La Quincaillerie and Delirium Cafe, to name a few. You will return with a big smile on your face after visiting these restaurants and their exquisite culinary.

How to reach Brussels (Transportation)

By Air

As the capital of Belgian, Brussels airport witnesses a good number of tourists at the Brussels International Airport. Flight connectivity of Brussels to many important European cities is excellent. Although the city's airport is located in Flanders, which is away from the Brussels main city, thanks to airport shuttle services, buses and rentals, travelling within the city are possible and convenient. You can book direct flights to Brussels from India. Cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai. Kolkata, Kochi and Bangalore have provisions of direct flights to Brussels. While there are some airlines that would have layovers or might need connecting flights, usually that's not a problem.

The major Indian cities provide non-stop flights to Brussels, making travelling favourable and seamless. Airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air India, Lufthansa, KLM Royal Dutch, Air France, Gulf Air, have frequent flights connecting Brussels and India. Booking your flight tickets to Brussels from India should be done well in advance though, if you wish to get good flight deals. It would be even better if you peruse through online for flight as well as accommodation deals. Options from luxury stay to hostels are available. As long as you book your hotel in Brussels before leaving India, it would be favourable.

By Rail

Many travellers visiting Brussels are often travelling across Europe. The connectivity of the European countries is immaculate, making travel easier. Even for Brussels, you can take flights to Germany, Netherlands or France, have some good time exploring those countries and then take a train to Brussels. A majority of the big European cities are connected by rails. Not only would the trip be amusing as the scenic views are worth all the duration, but this way, you can save up as well. Multiple rail options are available from Munich, Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin and more.