TIRUPATI: As the summer holidays draw to a close, the hill town of Tirumala is experiencing an extraordinary influx of pilgrims. Devotees have been forced to endure waits of over 24 hours in long queue lines to offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara, the presiding deity, on Sunday. The Vaikuntam queue complexes I and II, along with other key points in the temple town, are abuzz with pilgrim activity as devotees from various parts of the country converge here to seek blessings from Lord Venkateswara.
According to temple officials, a staggering 88,626 devotees worshipped at the Tirumala temple on Saturday, with Hundi donations amounting to approximately ₹3.29 crore. As of 6 pm on Sunday, devotees in the queue lines were experiencing wait times of up to 24 hours before reaching the main temple for darshan.
Since late Thursday, the Vaikuntam queue complex II has been operating at full capacity, with pilgrims standing in long, stretched queue lines. The entry point to the queue line begins at Bata Gangamma temple on the outer ring road, requiring devotees to walk a distance of 3 km to 4 km to reach the Vaikuntam queue complex.
The surge in pilgrim arrivals has strained the facilities provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in terms of accommodation and other services. Devotees waiting for hours in queues on the outer ring road have faced limited basic amenities. The entire hill town is congested with pilgrims and heavy vehicular traffic. Accommodation counters have been overwhelmed, with devotees having to endure long waits to secure even basic lodging.
Due to the overwhelming rush, the TTD has cancelled VIP break darshans and restricted them solely to protocol VIPs. Officials have announced that the restrictions on break darshans will be in effect until July 15. TTD’s executive officer, A.V. Dharma Reddy, is closely monitoring the pilgrim situation at VQC compartments, Narayanagiri Gardens, the outer ring road, and other areas in collaboration with temple officials. Srivari Sevaks have been deployed to provide water and annaprasadam (sacred food) to devotees waiting in the queue lines.
