Srikakulam resident enters Asia Book of Records

Srikakulam: An ardent devotee of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy, Mahanthi Srinivasa Rao, a resident of Gudi Veedhi in Srikakulam city, received honour from Asia Book of Records for making the maximum number of holy visits to Tirumala hill shrine on foot. He

received the honour and gets place in Asia Book of Records for his maximum of number of visits on foot to Tirumala hills through steps way. He trekked all the seven hills on bare foot for 258 times. Srinivas received communication from the president of Asia Book of Records, Ms Selvarani Muthiah on Saturday and gets copy of honour on Sunday. Srinivas is running an Ayurvedic medical shop in the city and serving daily for two hours at Tirumala Tirupati Devastanams (TTD) information centre in Srikakulam to provide information on Tirumala pilgrimage to the devotees.

He started his holy journey to Tirumala hills on foot through steps way (Sopana Margam) from Alipiri way in 1996. From 1996 to 2008, he used to visit Tirumala on foot once in a year. In 2009 he climbed up the hills once every month i.e.12 times and had darshan of the temple shrine. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, he made holy trip 50 times each year on foot and the total trips are 150 in three years duration. Srinivas started trekking holy hills at the age of 28 years. So far, he reached Tirumala hills 258 times with the inclusion of trips between January 6 and 7, 2020 on the eve of auspicious days of Vaikuntha Ekadasi and Dwadasi.

"My wife Mahanthi Saraswati and son Mahanthi Anjaneya Rakesh supported me in this amazing journey and to achieve record and receive honour," stated Mahanti Srinivasa Rao to The Hans India. I will continue to visit Tirumala on foot as long as my health permits with grace of God, he added.