Tirupati: Tribals from Paderu thrilled to have Vaikunta Dwara Darshan

Tirupati: Tribals from 10 mandals in Paderu division of Visakhapatnam district had the rare opportunity of Vaikunta Dwara Darshan on Monday.

Under TTD's Divya Darshanam extended to the weaker sections including the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and fishermen, 485 tribal men and women who were brought here in 10 special buses from their villages, first had darshan of Lord Venkateswara and later Vaikunta Dwara Darshan on Monday in the famed Tirumala temple, leaving the tribes in spiritual ecstasy.

The much elated tribals after darshan said that it is for the first time that they had Vaikunta Dwara Darshan held at Tirumala temple on the occasion of the auspicious Vaikunta Ekadasi and profusely thanked the TTD management for providing them the opportunity which they said in one voice that they remember it forever.

Poojari Jamuna (37) of Singarba tribal hamlet in Ananthagiri mandal (Visakhapatnam) said that though several times she wished to have Venkanna darshan, she could not make it for various reasons. For the first time she had the Lord's darshan and also Vaikunta Dwara Darshan which she said would cherish lifelong.

Other tribes including Gajjala Madhusudan of Kodiba village said they had no words to express their emotional feelings and spiritual solace they got while having a glimpse of the Lord and passing through the Vaikunta Dwaram which they never dreamt of and thanked the TTD.

It may be recalled that the TTD buoyed with the success and response to its Divya Darshan to weaker sections introduced during Brahmotsavam in October last year, continued the special darshan to the weaker sections - Vaikunta Ekadasi Uttara Dwara Darshan also this year.

Accordingly, the TTD in association with Vijayawada-based Samarasatha Seva Foundation (SSF) took up the elaborate exercise of providing Vaikunta Dwara Darshan to the weaker sections residing in the colonies where the TTD had built temples in the 13 districts in the State. The special darshan to weaker sections which began on January 13 on the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadasi would continue till January 20th so as to provide darshan to about 7,000 belonging to SC, ST and fishermen communities. The TTD in association with SSF and AP Endowment department built 502 temples in weaker section colonies in 13 districts in the State.

SSF senior functionary Syam Prasad said the arrangements including transport, food and other facilities were made for the weaker sections to visit Tirumala and return home after darshan. SSF activists are accompanying the devotees for Divya Darshan (Vaikunta Dwara Darshan) from their villages to Tirumala where they coordinate with TTD authorities to ensure a hassle-free darshan in Tirumala for them and travel, food and other requirements enroute, he said adding that the TTD gesture to weaker sections would go a long way in helping the vulnerable weaker sections like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and fishermen keep their age-old faith of Sanatana Dharma intact.