Over 1.7 lakh throng Tirumala

Tirumala: A record number of pilgrims had a hassle-free Vaikunthadwara darshan on January 8 and January 9 taking the total to a whopping 1, 77, 106 adding another feather in the cap of TTD, said TTD EO Dr D Sambasiva Rao.

The EO said during 2016 on December 21 and 22, 1,68,743 pilgrims had darshan on Vaikuntha Ekadasi and Dwadasi.

This year an additional 8263 pilgrims had darshan on these two auspicious days. On January 8 over 92,624 pilgrims had darshan while on January 9 about 84,482 pilgrims had walked through Vaikuntha Dwaram.

The Annaprasadam arrangements, water distribution and sanitary measures by Health Department, additional temporary compartments and toilets by engineering wing, security measures by Vigilance wing etc. contributed towards the successful conduct of the twin events without any inconvenience.

Complimenting various departments of TTD for the successful conduct of Vaikuntha Ekadasi and Vaikuntha Dwadasi which has witnessed record number of pilgrim turnout in the history of TTD, EO Dr D Sambasiva Rao wished the employees to continue to offer services with the same spirit in future too.

However, Rao was silent on how many VIPs had darshan this time or last year while the reality was there was frequent jostling in the queue line inside the shrine and outside.

The jostling resulted in the family members getting separated for hours and dozens of people were seen anxiously waiting outside the temple near the Mahadwaram, looking for their people to come out of the temple after darshan.

Sadly, the security staff often kept the relatives at bay, unmindful of their concern for their separated ones.Even media people tasted the pain of jostling when they were allowed for a special darshan on the occasion of Dwadasi on Monday evening.