TIRUPATI: Tirumala witnessed a heavy rush of pilgrims on Sunday, with waiting time for Srivari darshan stretching up to 14 to 16 hours as the summer holiday season drove a surge in footfall.
Officials attributed the rush to school holidays, the release of Class 10 results and the conclusion of elections in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. On Saturday, 91,005 devotees had darshan, while hundi collections stood at ₹3.37 crore. By Sunday evening, devotees without tokens had filled the Vaikuntam Queue Complexes and Narayanagiri sheds and were being allowed into queue lines through ATGH. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials said the inflow remained steady throughout the day.
Rain in the afternoon caused inconvenience to pilgrims waiting in queues. TTD staff shifted devotees into sheds and compartments and supplied drinking water, milk and Anna Prasadam. However, many exiting after darshan walked through rain-soaked premises, with a dip in temperature adding to discomfort, particularly for elderly pilgrims and children.
Meanwhile, the TTD is likely to take a decision on suspending VIP break darshan and the Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) token system at its trust board meeting on May 6. Officials have proposed restricting break darshan to protocol VIPs and allowing general devotees direct access to Sarva darshan without tokens in view of the continuing rush.
In response to the surge, the temple body has strengthened arrangements across Tirumala. The engineering department has taken up works worth about `2 crore to improve facilities. Shaded shelters have been arranged from Batagangamma Circle to Gogarbham Dam along the Outer Ring Road, along with additional shelters at Vaikuntam Queue Complex-II, the museum premises and Narayanagiri Gardens.
Cooling paint has been applied along queue lines and on the four mada streets to reduce ground heat. Temporary shelters and toilets have been set up in high-footfall areas, while sanitation is being maintained through regular waste clearance.
Drinking water is being supplied through mobile drums by Srivari Sevaks, with 45 volunteers working in three batches. Medical services are available at 16 centres, along with mobile first-aid units at key locations.
TTD has maintained a buffer stock of 3.5 lakh laddus in addition to the regular daily supply of 3.5 lakh laddus. Accommodation remains limited to around 60,000 pilgrims, with about 7,500 rooms and five pilgrim amenities complexes available. Around 9,000 locker facilities have been arranged for pilgrims without rooms. Tonsure services are being handled by 1,152 barbers across the main Kalyanakatta and 11 mini centres.
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