Tirupati: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is intensifying its efforts to combat fraudulent Darshan ticket bookings, urging devotees to refrain from using middlemen. This comes after a substantial discovery of suspicious booking practices, which has raised red flags about potential misuse and fraud within the ticket reservation system.
A recent TTD verification uncovered that around 14,449 transactions for SRIVANI (Sri Venkateswara Alaya Nirmanam) trust tickets were conducted by only 545 users. This troubling revelation has led the TTD to promptly block these accounts and issue cautionary messages to the involved users.
In extreme cases, some individuals were found to have booked as many as 225 SRIVANI tickets, far exceeding normal personal use limits. The TTD Vigilance department is now rigorously checking the identities of these suspicious users upon their arrival for Darshan.
“Our enhanced scrutiny is designed to curb misuse of the booking system and ensure equitable access for all devotees,” said a TTD official. “The Vigilance department is actively identifying pilgrims using fraudulent identification documents for various forms of Srivari Darshan.”
In response to these issues, the TTD is reinforcing its message to pilgrims to book Darshan tickets exclusively through official online channels. “By avoiding middlemen, devotees can secure legitimate bookings and steer clear of potential scams or inflated prices,” the TTD advised. The temple administration has also issued a stern warning, stating that strict action will be taken against anyone found engaging in fraudulent ticket booking activities.
