VIPs throng Tirumala for Lord’s darshan

Tirupati: Political VIPs and top bureaucrats of the country, particularly from both Telugu States thronged the abode of Lord Venkateswar Swamy to have the Vaikuntha Ekadasi Dwara Darshan in the early hours of Tuesday.

In view of the two-day festival, TTD has made all the arrangements to provide darshan to pilgrims in the early hours of Tuesday.  TTD is estimated that more than 5,000 VIPs already reached Tirumala on Monday afternoon.

As far as AP is concerned, Deputy Chief Minister KE Krishna Murthy and his family members, ministers N Amaranatha Reddy, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and others, Rajya Shaba member CM Ramesh, more than 70 MLAs and MLCs came to Tirumala along with their families for Vaikuntjha Dwara darshan.

Similarly, from Telangana, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s wife Shoba Rao and nephew of TRS leader former minister T Harish Rao arrived at Tirumala along with their family members. Also, more than 50 top MLAs, MLCs from TS reached Tirumala a day before to have the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. In addition, more than 500 bureaucrats from both the states reached Tirumala for the auspicious darshan. 

Meanwhile, all the general queue lines have been packed with pilgrims on Monday morning itself. Already pilgrim queue lines crossed Lepakshi Centre which stretched to 1.5 km distance from the temple entrance.  According to TTD authorities, more than one lakh devotees came to the hill shrine to have a darshan on Tuesday. 

For the convenience of the pilgrims,  both ghat roads are opened 24 hours.  Free meals and beverages were being supplied continuously by the Annadanam canteen staff and Srivari Sevaks for those in queue lines. For this TTD has been preparing food for 2.5 lakh devotees a day. As far as security arrangements concerned, TTD vigilance sleuths and Tirupati Urban police district have made extensive bandobust arrangements.  

Urban SP K K N Anburajan and CVSO Gopinath Jetti are supervising the security personnel and closely watching the pilgrim rush from the command control centre. More than 1,800 personnel have been mobilised for the security at Tirumala for the occasion.