Tirupati, India

The town of TIRUPATI is only significant as the service town for the Shri Venkateshvara temple at Tirumala, 11km away as the crow flies, but double that by road. Set in a stunning position, surrounded by wooded hills capped by a ring of vertical red rocks, the temple is said to be the richest and most popular place of pilgrimage in the world, drawing more devotees than either Rome or Mecca. With its many shrines and dharamshalas, the whole area around Tirumala Hill, an enervating drive 700m up in the Venkata hills, provides a fascinating insight into contemporary Hinduism.