TTD revives free darshan for locals from tomorrow

Tirupati: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has announced the revival of special darshan for local residents, beginning December 3.

The decision, hailed as a significant move to reconnect the community with Lord Venkateswara, has also ignited a political credit war among leaders and parties vying to claim influence over the Trust Board’s decision.

The initiative will allow residents from Tirupati Urban, Tirupati Rural, Chandragiri, Renigunta mandals and Tirumala to avail themselves of free darshan on the first Tuesday of every month.

Tokens for the December darshan will be distributed on December 2 at Mahathi Auditorium in Tirupati and the Community Hall at Tirumala. Residents must present their original Aadhaar cards with local addresses to receive tokens, with an allocation of 3,000 tokens – 2500 in Tirupati and 500 in Tirumala between 3 am and 5 am on first cum first serve basis free of cost.

The TTD has indicated that pilgrims with tokens shall enter footpath (Divya Darshan) entrance (Vaikuntam Queue Complex) for Srivari darshan. They will be provided one small laddu free of cost on par with SSD token pilgrims. Next darshan eligibility is only after 90 days for those who had completed darshan under this category, TTD clarified.

This facility, originally introduced in 2009 during the tenure of then-chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reinstatement, announced during the first meeting of the newly formed TTD Trust Board on November 18, has been celebrated by the local community.

However, the move has also turned into a battleground for political one-upmanship. Leaders from various parties have rushed to claim credit for pushing the decision forward.

Former MP Chinta Mohan asserted his advocacy for locals’ darshan played a pivotal role, while BJP leaders Naveen Kumar Reddy and G Bhanu Prakash Reddy described their efforts in raising the issue. Jana Sena’s Kiran Royal and TDP leaders Narasimha Yadav and Sugunamma also declared their contributions to the cause.

Adding to this, supporters of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan celebrated the announcement as a fulfilment of their election promises. Both leaders had pledged to restore the locals’ darshan during their campaign trails. Supporters performed Palabhishekam rituals in their honour, further fuelling the credit battle.

While political leaders continue their credit-claiming spree, the decision has been widely welcomed by residents, many of whom are preparing to queue up as early as midnight on December 1 to secure tokens. For locals, this marks a long-awaited opportunity to reconnect with Srivaru under a dedicated arrangement.