Book local temples package, get assured darshan at Tirumala

Tirupati: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) seems to be focusing on ways to increase the footfall in its local temples in Tirupati and surrounding places including in neighbouring districts.

While Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala has been drawing huge crowds from across the country, the case with several other temples being run by the TTD is entirely different.

A top official of the TTD made it clear that they have been contemplating the proposal with the AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) to market a package which guarantees darshan at Tirumala provided devotees' book a ticket for any package being offered by the APTDC to visit different local temples.

For this, the APTDC has chalked out 5-6 packages to cover temples in Chittoor, Nellore and Kadapa districts. These temples will include Valmikipuram, Devuni Kadapa, Vontimitta, Naidupet, Tarigonda among other temples. While under one package, temples managed by the TTD will be covered, in some other packages, other temples like Srikalahasti, Kanipakam and several others will be included.

Under recreation package, places like Mamandur, Talakona, Horsley Hills, Neerugattuvari Palle etc., are to be included. The new chairman of APTDC Dr A Varaprasad Reddy in his visit to Tirupati on Tuesday also reiterated the idea. Speaking to the media, he said that with the cooperation of TTD 2-3 tour packages were designed to cover TTD affiliated temples in the three districts. The details of the package may be announced during this week itself.

He also said that APTDC will run tour packages from all the districts in the State to Tirupati-Tirumala and Srikalahasti with special packages for Talakona and Horsley Hills. As part of the State's tourism policy, they want to revive all tourism projects in the State starting from Chittoor district as thousands of pilgrims visit the place daily.

"The APTDC is committed to provide all facilitations to the visiting pilgrims to Tirumala. With the cooperation of TTD we will move ahead in this direction," he averred.