Preparations are being made for Vaikunta Ekadashi festivities at TTD. (DC File Photo)
Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has initiated preparations for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan at the holy abode of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala from January 10, 2025 to January 19, 2025.
Vaikunta Ekadasi is one of the most significant festivals in the temple’s religious calendar. Also known as Mukkoti Ekadasi, it holds immense spiritual importance. It is widely believed that devotees who walk through the Vaikunta Dwaram—the sacred inner prakaram encircling the sanctum sanctorum—attain salvation.
A Puranic legend explains that one day in Vaikuntam, the celestial abode of Maha Vishnu, is equivalent to one year on earth. The 12 hours of daytime in that day represent the six-month Uttarayanam period, while the 12 hours of night-time correspond to Dakshinayanam on earth. Within this divine day, the first 120 minutes of early morning in Vaikuntam equate to the 30-day Dhanurmasa period on earth.
During this time, Maha Vishnu is believed to appear before other deities, sages and devotees for 40 minutes during the Brahma Muhurtham. This sacred window is represented by the ten days of Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, considered an exceptionally auspicious period for devotees to receive divine blessings.
TTD is taking several measures to ensure a smooth darshan for devotees during this period. Only devotees with valid darshan tokens or tickets will be permitted for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan.
Privilege darshans, including those for parents with infants, senior citizens, specially abled persons, defence personnel and NRIs, will remain suspended during these 10 days. To prioritise access for common devotees, VIP break darshans have also been cancelled, except for protocol-designated celebrities. Devotees wearing Govinda Malas will not receive special privileges and will need tokens or tickets for darshan.
Queues will be streamlined to accommodate maximum number of devotees, ensuring that everyone can partake in the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan. To manage the large influx of devotees, TTD will deploy 3,000 Srivari Sevaks, supported by scouts and guides. To avoid unnecessary waiting, TTD has advised devotees to report at their designated queues as per the time slots on their tickets or tokens.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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