Morning sun slides down the Seshachalam Hills and turns the slopes above Tirupati from grey to green, while the Venkateswara Temple waits on the seventh peak. In the old town, the tall gopuram of the Govindaraja Swamy Temple stands sharp against a hard blue sky, and pilgrims head for Alipiri and the roofed stairway into the hills.
Beyond the temples, Kapila Theertham spills into a temple tank after the rains, and the Tirupati laddu, rich with ghee and cashews, travels home in pilgrims' bags. Summers are hot and dry, and the heaviest rain comes with the northeast monsoon in October and November. A Local Friend knows when to start the climb before dawn and when to linger by the waterfall.
