Arrangements in full swing for Vaikunta Ekadasi

Tirumala: The arrangements for ensuing Vaikuntha Ekadasi, a major religious festival in Tirumala, are under way and priority is being given for the Darshan for common devotees, said TTD joint executive officer (Tirumala) K S Sreenivasa Raju. Around 44 hours would be provided in the two days December 18 Vaikunta Ekadasi and 19 Dwadasi for common pilgrims’ darshan.

The JEO along with Chief Vigilance and Security Officer (CVSO) Gopinath Jetti and Chie Engineeri Chandra Sekhar Reddy inspected the arrangements for over three hours on the hills on Tuesday. As a part of the inspection, the officials inspected the ongoing works inside the temple, in four mada streets, at Kalyana Vedika via Bata Gangamma temple in Narayanagiri gardens.

Later, speaking to media persons, the JEO said the pilgrims would be allowed to enter the compartments of Vaikuntham 2 through MBC 26 gate from 10 am onwards on December 17, a day before Vaikunta Ekadasi. After the compartments of VQC 2 and then VQC 1 get filled, the pilgrims will be allowed to enter into the sheds constructed in Narayanagiri Gardens to wait before darshan.

If all compartments of Vaikuntham and sheds in Narayanagiri Gardens filled, the special shed put up in the four mada streets galleries will be thrown open for the waiting pilgrims, Raju said adding arrangements were made to nearly forty thousand pilgrims in the temporary sheds.

Sreenivasa Raju said if these galleries also get filled, then the devotees would be made to wait in Kalyana Vedika which has a holding capacity of 3,000 pilgrims and  beyond this point, the pilgrims will be made to wait in the queue lines laid at New Seva Sadan building hinting that the TTD this year is expecting a huge rush of pilgrims for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan. 

Arrangements of continuous supply of food and water with Srivari Seva volunteers has been planned at micro level, he said and added that the TTD was set to provide Vaikuntha Dwara darshanam to 1.70 lakh pilgrims during these two days Continuous announcements through radio and broadcasting will be given for the information of pilgrims about the entry points in different languages, he added.

On the darshan on Vaikunta Edkadasi, Sreenivasa Raju said  Sarva Darshanam would begin on December 18 by 5.30 am and lasts up to midnight of December 19 with a break of less than an hour for Naivedyam.

However, sources indicate that the pilgrims visiting Tirumala for darshan of Lord Venkateswara and to have the rare opportunity of Uttara Dwara Darshan after deity’s darshan will be more than two lakh during the two days of Ekadasi and Dwadasi.

TTD expecting more VVIPs and VIPs has decided to commence Sarva Darshan at 5.30 am on December 18 Vaikunta Ekadasi day after the temple was opened for darshan afer rituals. In other words nearly five hours allocated to VIPs darshan on Vaikunta Ekadasi despite the huge rush of pilgrims expected.