Journey of faith: 116-year-old grandma treks 11km to Tirumala, gets VIP darshan

Tirupati: Faith knows no age, and devotion sees no barriers. At 116, when many would consider even a short walk a challenge, Navaneethamma achieved what many half her age would find daunting — she trekked the 11-kilometre Alipiri footpath leading to the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh, driven by an unwavering desire to seek the blessings of Lord Venkateswara.Her extraordinary act of devotion was acknowledged by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the affairs of the world’s richest Hindu temple. TTD officials traced Navaneethamma and arranged a ‘special darshan’ for her on Monday morning, allowing her to offer prayers from close quarters — an honour that made her spiritual journey even more fulfilling and memorable.On the morning of July 3, when Navaneethamma — who is originally from Chennai but has been staying at her relatives’ place in Tirupati for the past few years — decided to trek to Tirumala, little did she know what beckons.

Accompanied by her grandson Dikpathi, who supported her at every step, the supercentenarian climbed over each of the 3,550 steps along the 11km-long Alipiri-Tirumala pathway, completing the arduous climb late in the evening.Fellow pilgrims, moved by her determination and resilience, captured her journey on their mobile phones. The videos soon went viral, drawing admiration from devotees nationwide and turning Navaneethamma into a symbol of steadfast faith and perseverance.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who was in the middle of his four-day Kuppam tour, was among the first to respond to Navaneethamma’s journey of faith.“Age is truly just a number when it comes to pure devotion! Absolutely awestruck by this 116-year-old grandmother who trekked all the way up to Tirumala on foot to have the divine darshan of Lord Venkateswara Swamy. Wonderful to see her family supporting her lifelong faith.

Truly inspiring,” Naidu posted on his X handle.Acknowledging her spiritual feat, TTD chairman BR Naidu immediately gave directions to trace and facilitate a VIP darshan for Navaneethamma. On Monday morning, the 116-year-old grandma entered the Tirumala temple through the Mahadwaram, and was led to the sanctum sanctorum, where she offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara from close quarters during the VIP break darshan slot.After the blissful darshan, she conveyed her gratitude to TTD authorities with folded hands. Temple executive officer Muddada Ravichandra felicitated her with a silk robes and offered her the temple’s prasadams personally.The supercentenarian — who, according to her relatives, was born in 1910 but does not possess any official records to substantiate her age — was unable to describe her excitement after stepping out of Tirumala temple, acknowledging all questions only with folded hands and a smile.Her grandson said she was determined to undertake the arduous trek despite everyone trying to dissuade her due to her age. “Her resolve to undertake the trek was unwavering. I would call it the Lord’s ‘divine drama. I express my heartfelt gratitude to TTD for fulfilling my grandmother’s lifelong wish and enabling the divine darshan,” Dikpathi said.