Pickup from your home at 6 AM and breakfast near Chikkaballapur. See the hanging pillar and the giant Nandi at Lepakshi, have lunch in Penukonda and, if you like, walk around its old fort and Gagan Mahal. Reach Puttaparthi in the afternoon for the evening Veda chanting, bhajans and arati at Prasanthi Nilayam. About 210 km, 5 hours of driving with stops.
- 6:00 AM
Pickup from your home
Your driver calls you 30 minutes before. We leave early to beat the airport road traffic and reach Lepakshi before the midday heat.
- 1 h 32 min · 62 km
- 7:45 AM
Breakfast near Chikkaballapur
Idli, vada and filter coffee at a highway eatery on NH44. Pay as you eat.
- 1 h 4 min · 64 km
- 9:15 AM1
Veerabhadra Temple and hanging pillar, Lepakshi
1 h 15 min hereA 16th century Vijayanagara temple with painted ceilings, carved halls and one pillar that hangs just above the floor. Shoes come off at the gate. Local guides wait at the gate if you want one, paid directly.
- 10:45 AM2
Lepakshi Nandi
20 min hereA huge Nandi carved from a single rock, in a garden a short drive from the temple. Good for photos.
- 52 min · 45 km
- 12:00 PM
Lunch in Penukonda
A Rayalaseema meals plate or simple South Indian food in town. Pay as you eat.
- 5 min · 2 km
- 1:00 PM
Penukonda Fort and Gagan Mahal
Optional · Free entryPenukonda was a summer capital of the Vijayanagara kings. See the Gagan Mahal palace and the old fort gates in town. Climbing the hill fort takes much longer, so we keep to the town side. It is hot after noon, so carry water and a cap.
- 56 min · 35 km
- 4:30 PM3
Evening bhajans at Prasanthi Nilayam
2 h hereThe ashram of Sathya Sai Baba. Evening Veda chanting starts at about 4:30 to 5 PM in Sai Kulwant Hall, then bhajans and arati, after which you can join the line for darshan at the Mahasamadhi. Entry is free. Dress code is strict: ankle length clothes, no shorts or sleeveless tops. No phones or cameras inside the hall, so leave them in the car.
- 6:45 PM
Check in at your hotel
Your hotel is a short walk or drive from the ashram. If you reach early, we drop your bags at the hotel before the evening programme. Dinner at the hotel or the ashram canteens, your choice.
