Unprecedented rush of devotees at Tirumala

♦    There has been heavy rush due to summer holidays and as Covid norms were relaxed after two years, points out TTD Chairman Y V Subba Reddy

♦    Says all devotees can have darshan of the deity and appeals to them to be patient

Tirumala: As many as 89,318 devotees had darsan of Lord Venkatesara at Tirumala on Saturday. The TTD officials took measures to see that a maximum number of devotees had darshan resulting in the waiting for the pilgrims to have a glimpse of the presiding deity coming down to about 18-20 hours by Sunday evening as against 48 hours as announced by TTD officials on Saturday after a massive turn out of pilgrims due to weekend holidays.

After the heavy influx of pilgrims, the TTD officials and local police worked in coordination to ensure orderly movement of pilgrims in the queue line which stretched beyond Rambagicha guest house area, forcing the devotees to move in the line for about 5 km before reaching the sanctum sanctorum in the shrine for darsan.

The TTD also provided food, snacks and drinking water to the pilgrims waiting in the queue line while the Srivari Sevaks and volunteers who worked round-the-clock did their best in crowd control avoiding jostling of pilgrims anywhere in the long queue. Meanwhile, TTD Chairman Y V Subba Reddy on Sunday appealed to the devotees to come prepared to patiently wait till their turn for Srivari darshan in view of the huge summer rush which is likely to continue till the first week of June i.e. reopening of the educational institutions after summer holidays.

Speaking to reporters in front of Srivari temple on Sunday, the TTD Chairman said Tirumala was witnessing a heavy surge of pilgrims as the Covid norms were relaxed after a gap of two years, leading to more and more devotees taking up the pilgrimage to Tirumala to fulfill their vows, pending due to the pandemic. Complimenting the TTD officials and employees for their hard work and service in managing all facilities for the heavy influx of devotees, the TTD chairman said drinking water and Annaprasadam were made available to all devotees on a war footing.