TTD gears up to meet summer pilgrim rush

TIRUPATI: In view of the reduction in the Covid-19 threat and with the advent of summer holidays, the rush of devotees to the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala is normal for the season after a lull for two years.

In fact, the pilgrim town is witnessing the heaviest rush for the past seven days and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is making elaborate arrangements to ensure hassle-free darshan for all.

“Devotees should come to Tirumala without any apprehension as the TTD has ensured all usual facilities for meeting the challenge of the ‘spiral limb summer rush’ after the Covid season. As it is taking 7-8 hours for the Srivari darshan for all categories of devotees at the Vaikuntam queue complex and sheds, milk, snacks and anna prasadam were being supplied non-stop,” TTD additional EO, Dharma Reddy, told the media in Tirumala on Monday.

He said the temple town witnessed a record turnout in the last seven days (April 11-17). As many as 5,29,926 pilgrims had darshan. Kalyanakatta, the tonsuring centre, reported 2,39,287 tonsures during the period.

TTD served annaprasadam to 10,55,572 devotees and distributed 24,36,744 laddus and 25,921 vadas. A total of 30,650 rooms and 20,541 lockers were allotted in the last seven days, while the twin ghat roads recorded 46,419 vehicle movements.

Apart from the TTD employees and outsourcing staff, nearly 2,200 Srivari Sevaks were deployed in various wings of TTD at Tirumala and Tirupati.

“The TTD staff at Tirumala that had been relocated to other wings during the Covid season were brought back to temple duties. In view of the devotee rush last week, VIP break was cancelled for four days. The break darshan resumed on Monday. All devotees are being provided hassle-free srivari darshan inside the temple,”, Dharma Reddy said.

TTD has set up food counters at Rambagicha bus stand, CRO, ANC besides MTVAC and PAC-2 as also Vaikunta Complex-2 canteen and deployed additional cooking staff for making and supplying annaprasadam. RO water is made available at all locations and compartments are cleaned frequently.

TTD vigilance staff are clearing luggage and darshan queue lines with the help of additionally deployed 100 sulabh personnel, and Kalyana Kattas at Tirumala are working on a 24x7 basis with 1,200 barbers as against 400 during the Covid season.