The spirit of pilgrimage, deeply rooted in Bharatiya tradition, continues to inspire devotees across generations—from toddlers to the very elderly. A remarkable example of this enduring faith was seen when a 116-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu, driven by devotion and aided by her determination, ascended the steps of the Thirumala hills to have the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Whether described as stamina, grit, endurance, unshakable belief or God’s blessings, her feat has inspired thousands.
Navaneethamma climbed part of the Seshachalam hills and covered over 3,000 steps with the support of her family before reaching the hill shrine. After videos of her walking up to Tirumala for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara went viral, there has been a volley of appreciation.
Social media users, after seeing the video, expressed admiration for the elderly woman’s perseverance and devotion, while another said, “Finally, a person who deserves it, and what dedication and devotion.”
Another video showing Navaneethamma making her way up the Tirumala footpath with her relatives soon caught the attention of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who praised her determination in a post on X.
He said, “Age is truly just a number when it comes to pure devotion! Absolutely awestruck by this 116-year-old grandmother from Karnataka 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!”
Age is truly just a number when it comes to pure devotion! Absolutely awestruck by this 116-year-old grandmother from Karnataka 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… pic.twitter.com/Ke70jmKy4v
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) July 5, 2026
Navaneethamma and her family members received VIP break darshan on July 6. As per the directions of the TTD Chairman, the temple authorities personally facilitated her from the biometric centre for darshan. According to her family members, she is aged 116 years, though this has not been verified by the authorities.
Age is no barrier for devotion. A 116-year-old devotee experienced the divine blessings of Srivaru through Srivari Darshan at Tirumala, reflecting the eternal bond between Srivaru and devotees.#ttd #tirumala #srivaru #srivaridarshan pic.twitter.com/ZqBWpz5Zrc
— Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (@TTDevasthanams) July 6, 2026
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Chairman B R Naidu reportedly instructed officers to locate the elderly devotee. Once they found Navaneethamma and her family, the temple administration arranged assistance and a special VIP darshan for them.
ఈ రోజు 116 ఏళ్ల వృద్ధ భక్తురాలు శ్రీమతి నవనీతమ్మ గారికి, ఆమె కుటుంబ సభ్యులతో కలిసి శ్రీవారి ప్రత్యేక విఐపీ బ్రేక్ దర్శనం విజయవంతంగా కల్పించాము.
అనంతరం రంగనాయకుల మండపంలో టీటీడీ ఈఓ శ్రీ ముద్దాడ రవిచంద్ర గారు వేదపండితులతో వేదాశీర్వచనం చేయించి, పట్టువస్త్రం కప్పి, తీర్థప్రసాదాలు… pic.twitter.com/3Cbu2loCVX
— B R Naidu (@BollineniRNaidu) July 6, 2026
Later, B.R. Naidu shared details of the visit on X, saying: “Today, we successfully arranged a special VIP break darshan for the 116-year-old elderly devotee Smt. Navaneethamma Garu along with her family members. Thereafter, in the Ranganayakula Mandapam, TTD EO Muddada Ravichandra Garu had Vedic scholars perform Vedic blessings, draped her with a silk cloth, and offered sacred prasadam. He also paid obeisance to Navaneethamma Garu and received her blessings.”
