V-DIVYA DHARSHANA-5A: Kempegowda Bus Station to Kempegowda Bus Station - The Chikka Tirupati Circuit

A different kind of BMTC journey - beyond the city

If Divya Darshana 1, 1A and 1B show you Bengaluru inside the city, V-DIVYA DHARSHANA-5A is where BMTC takes you beyond the city limits.

This is not the usual Gali Anjaneya - Rajarajeshwari - Banashankari loop that most people know. 5A is the Chikka Tirupati circuit. It starts and ends at Kempegowda Bus Station (Majestic), but it drives out towards Begur, Huskur, Mugalur and Malur side - temples that most Bengalureans have heard of but never done in one day by public transport.

For iloveblr.com, this route should be told as a one-day pilgrimage out of Bengaluru, not as a bus number.

What is V-DIVYA DHARSHANA-5A?

BMTC introduced two new tour packages: Divya Darshana 5 and Divya Darshana 6 on weekends and public holidays.

Divya Darshana 5 buses will start at Central Silk Board around 9 a.m. and the 5A variant starts at Kempegowda Bus Station - the route is shown as Bus V-Divya Dharshana-5a Kempegowda Bus Station ⇔ Chikka Thirupathi | Direction: Kempegowda Bus Station.

What type of service? AC package tour bus, weekend-only, full-day. You book a seat, you board at KBS, you come back to KBS by evening. The trip is designed to return to the starting point at 7.30 pm.

Who is it for? Devotees who want to cover the famous temples on Sarjapur - Malur - Chikka Tirupati belt in one day, families who don't want to drive on that road, senior citizens who find that stretch tiring to plan, and people from North and West Bengaluru who prefer Majestic boarding over Silk Board.

The journey - told as a story

The journey begins at Kempegowda Bus Station. The 5A bus is parked in the tour section, not with regular route buses.

As the bus leaves Majestic and moves towards Begur and Electronic City road, the city slowly thins. You first stop at Begur - Nageshwara Temple, one of the oldest in Bengaluru. Then towards Bettadasanapura - Kote Thimmaraya Temple, a small but very local shrine.

Then the landscape changes. Huskur - Madduramma Temple, Narayanaghatta - Varadarajaswamy Chowdeshwari, Guddahatti Gate - Sushil Dham Jain Temple. These are places where you see more fields, more open sky, less traffic.

The heart of this circuit is Mugalur - Bhoo Varaha Swamy Temple, and then the main destination - Chikka Tirupathi. For many Bengalureans, Chikka Tirupati is the Tirupati they do without going to Andhra. The Venkateshwara temple here is always crowded, prasadam queues long.

From there the bus takes you to Gunjur - Shaneshwara Swamy Temple, and finally Agara - Jagannath Temple before heading back towards Silk Board and then to KBS.

It's Bengaluru's outskirts in one day - one stop, one village temple, one countryside at a time.

Important temples and places along V-DIVYA DHARSHANA-5A

The one-day itinerary for Divya Darshana 5 includes visits to:

1. Nageshwara Temple in Begur
One of Bengaluru's oldest temples, with inscriptions. 30 mins.

2. Kote Thimmaraya Temple in Bettadasanapura
Small fort-side temple, very local.

3. Madduramma Temple in Huskur
Village goddess temple, powerful for locals.

4. Varadarajaswamy Chowdeshwari in Narayanaghatta
Combined shrine, unique.

5. Sushil Dham - Jain Temple near Guddahatti Gate
White marble Jain temple, very calm, very photogenic.

6. Bhoo Varaha Swamy Temple in Mugalur
Varaha avatar, near the lake.

7. Chikka Tirupathi
The main stop. Balaji temple that gives this route its name. You need 45-60 mins here minimum. The stop is listed as Chikka Thirupathi | Direction: Kempegowda Bus Station.

8. Shaneshwara Swamy Temple in Gunjuru
Shani temple, people come for parihara.

9. Jagannath Temple in Agara
On the way back, near HSR / Agara.

The Divya Darshana 5 buses will start at Central Silk Board around 9 a.m. and ply to Nageshwara Temple in Begur, Kote Thimmaraya Temple in Bettadasanapura, Madduramma Temple in Huskur, Varadarajaswamy Chowdeshwari in Narayanaghatta, Sushil Dham-Jain Temple near Guddahatti Gate, Bhoo Varaha Swamy Temple in Mugalur, Chikka Tirupathi, Shaneshwara Swamy Temple in Gunjuru, and Jagannath Temple in Agara, and return to the starting point at 7.30 pm.

How to plan a one-day journey on 5A

Morning - Boarding
Reach KBS by 8:30 AM. Bus starts around 9 a.m. from Central Silk Board and KBS side. Grab breakfast at Majestic before boarding.

Late Morning
Begur, Bettadasanapura, Huskur, Narayanaghatta - quick darshanas.

Afternoon
Guddahatti Jain Temple, Mugalur Varaha Swamy, then Chikka Tirupati. This is where lunch break happens - small hotels near Chikka Tirupati.

Evening
Gunjur Shani temple, Agara Jagannath, then return to KBS by 7:30 PM.

What the journey feels like

Unlike Divya Darshana 1 which is city temples, 5A feels like a small pilgrimage out of town.

You watch Bengaluru change from Majestic concrete to Begur old village, then to open fields near Mugalur, then to the temple town crowd at Chikka Tirupati. People carry more prasadam bags on this route. Families who could not go to Tirupati come here.

The bus itself becomes part of the yatre - AC, everyone knowing each other by the second temple, exchanging flowers.

Who should consider 5A?

• People who have already done Divya Darshana 1 and want the extended circuit
• Families from South-East Bengaluru who want Chikka Tirupati in one day by bus
• Senior citizens who find Malur road driving stressful
• Devotees of Balaji, Shani, Varaha
• Visitors who want to see village temples around Bengaluru

Things to know before boarding V-DIVYA DHARSHANA-5A

• Service days: Weekends and public holidays - as per Divya Darshana 5/6 launch
• Route Name: V-DIVYA DHARSHANA-5A - Kempegowda Bus Station to Kempegowda Bus Station (Loop)
• Boarding point: Kempegowda Bus Station (Majestic). The 5 variant boards at Central Silk Board around 9 a.m.
• Return time: Around 7:30 PM to starting point
• Fare: Both Divya Darshana 5 and 6 cost ₹500 for an adult and ₹375 for children
• Booking: www.ksrtc.in - Divya Darshana section, select 5A
• Type: AC tour bus, reservation compulsory

Complete route at a glance

V-DIVYA DHARSHANA-5A - Route at a glance