TIRUPATI: Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirumala is having an unprecedented influx of devotees. This posed a challenge to the authorities in matters like crowd management. On Thursday, nearly 76,369 devotees had darshan.
With the conclusion of the polling in AP on May 13, both regular pilgrims and VIPs have been flocking to the shrine in droves, leading to congestion and long queues.
Since Thursday evening, the main temple complex and other vital areas saw huge presence of devotees, causing delays and resultant chaos. Pilgrims waited for hours in serpentine queues to secure accommodation and darshan. The rush was particularly high in the Kalyanakattas.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) strugged hard to cope with the increased footfall. Its executive officer AV Dharma Reddy and officials have been working round-the-clock to extend facilities, monitor queue lines and ensure uninterrupted supply of free food and drinking water to the devotees.
TTD announced through public address systems that free darshan was now exceeding 24 hours, as compartments in Vaikuntam Queue Complexes and sheds in Narayanagiri Gardens were full. By 6pm on Friday, over 50,000 pilgrims had darshan and many more waiting in lines outside the queue complex and on the outer ring road.
The TTD administration faced backlash for closing a gate near the moving bridge on the south mada street, disrupting the traditional pradakshina routes around the temple complex. Devotees who couldn't secure darshan typically perform pradakshina around the mada streets and break coconuts at the Akhilandam.
However, the gate’s closure prevented the devotees from completing the full circumambulation.
Traffic restrictions sans scientific basis, inadequate signage and guidance have worsened the issues, causing frustration and delays. The rise in the number of private taxis, though convenient, led to traffic problems due to insufficient traffic police presence.
Accommodation and amenities were strained due to a surge in pilgrim numbers, surpassing available resources. The demand for accommodation far exceeded supply and many pilgrims took rest on footpaths and other areas.
