Opinion

New Year at Tirumala Hills

How faith, patience, and surrender transformed a night of disappointment into divine joy

January 27, 2026

A midnight journey to Tirumala and the meaning of time

To celebrate the New Year at Tirumala is a cherished aspiration for many. Still, generally, a crowd of over one lakh pilgrims congregate at the hill shrine, making timely Darshan for all the pilgrims. The massive throng of pilgrims, including innumerable VIPs, is a big strain on the facilities in the temple town.

In the year 1986, a close friend of mine had invited me to join him to pray at Tirumala on December 31st at midnight, and immediately thereafter on 1st of January 1987. I was hesitant, knowing about the massive crowd surging to the temple on that day, but my friend assured me that he had made foolproof arrangements for a smooth Darshan. I agreed to join him, not wanting to miss a rare opportunity.

We set out from Chennai by car on December 31st at about 4 PM. En route, we stopped at the famous Tiruttani Temple. Tiruttani Temple is famous as one of the six sacred abodes (Arupadaiveedu) of Lord Murugan, known as the place where he married Goddess Valli, offering blessings on his devotees for peace, prosperity, and family harmony, with its hilltop location reached by 365 steps symbolizing days of the year.

We reached Tirupathi town by around 9 PM, and stopped over to pick up an elderly lady, who was also accompanying us. My friend had informed me that she was highly influential, enjoyed a lot of political clout, and had undertaken the responsibility of our New Year’s Darshan.

It was apparent that the entire Tirupati town and the route to Tirumala were thronging with devotees from all over India. On arrival at Tirumala, the entire township was overflowing with thousands of devotees, and I started having genuine apprehensions about getting Darshan. The lady went to telephone an important dignitary for our visit. During those days, the mobile phone had not made its advent, landline phone was the only mode of communication. After more than 45 minutes, she returned looking crestfallen. There was no way to contact any temple official, as most of them had kept the telephone receiver down in order to avoid recommendations and requests. There was disappointment on the faces of all of us. Seeing the massive crowd, it seemed impossible to fulfill our desire for New Year Darshan.

Starting the New Year on a note of disappointment was quite saddening. We were all sitting on a roadside platform, not knowing what to do? I sat there looking at the vast night sky, star-spangled and intriguingly mysterious. A philosophical thought rose in the mind: What is this New Year after all? In the Gregorian calendar, the New Year begins on January 1st, preceded by New Year’s Eve on December 31st, celebrated globally with liquor parties, gorging on food and sweets, dances, resolutions, and fireworks, a tradition rooted in the Roman calendar and officially reinstated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, as a Christian religious event. Many cultures, like the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean, observe different days as the start of a New Year. The Hindu New Year (Chaitra Shukla Pratipada/Vikram Samvat)) usually falls in March, marking the start of the luni-solar calendar’s new cycle and the Vikram Samvat year, celebrated regionally as Gudi Padwa (Maharashtra), Ugadi (South India), Vishu (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), and also denotes the beginning of Chaitra Navratri. This date signifies spring’s arrival and the start of creation, differing from the Gregorian New Year on January 1.

The idea of a “new year” is embedded in every human civilization, celebrated with joy, reflection, and resolutions. But when examined through the lens of astronomy, astrology, and philosophy, an intriguing, thought-provoking question arises: Is there really such a thing as a “new year,” or is it simply a construct of the human imagination? A “year,” as we understand it, is based on the Earth’s complete orbit around the Sun. When the Earth returns to the same position in its orbit, we declare the start of a new year. But as the planet is merely circling back to the same point, does this truly mark something new? The Earth’s motion is a continuous loop, with no distinct beginning or end. The “new year” is a concept created by humans to bring structure to the passage of time. Calendars just serve as convenient tools for organizing days, months, and years, enabling nations to plan, celebrate, and record events. However, these divisions are not universal truths; they are only frameworks that human societies have imposed on the continuous flow of time. Certain viewpoints suggest that New Year’s Eve is just another evening where people feel pressured to pretend to be happy. There is, in reality, no year-end or year beginning; it is simply a figment of man’s imagination!

Just then, the elderly lady’s loud exclamation jolted all of us. “Oh, the Tirupati Range DIG is coming, I know him,” so saying, she rushed towards him. The DIG also seemed to know her well, and they were discussing something, and the lady pointed towards us. The DIG came towards us, introductions over, and he graciously invited us to join him for the Darshan. We were overjoyed beyond words, minutes before we were despondent and crestfallen, now suddenly replaced by excitement and joy. How quickly human emotions oscillate!

The entourage walked towards the sanctum sanctorum, brimming with confidence; it appeared that Lord Venkateshwara himself was leading us. I remembered the scriptural incident when Vasudeva was carrying the infant Lord Krishna across the Yamuna River from Mathura to Gokul, the river itself miraculously parted to create a safe passage (Bhagavata Purana (10th Canto, Chapter 3).

God’s ways are indeed imperceptible, divine actions are beyond human understanding, operating through strange, unexpected, and confusing ways that transcend human logic, but reinforce belief and faith that divine interference constantly interjects into the lives of all living beings.

“When the mind surrenders to Lord Venkateshwara, every burden becomes a blessing.”

“Om Namo Venkatesaaya Kaamitaartha Pradhaayine Pranatah Klesa Naasaaya Govindaaya Namo Namaha”.

(This mantra extolls Lord Venkateshwara as the fulfiller of desires, remover of suffering, and bestower of divine grace, seeking his blessings for prosperity, peace, and liberation from troubles).

Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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