TTD comes under criticism

Tirupati: Pilgrims criticised the TTD management for dispensing with Divyadarshan token on weekends. Hundreds of pilgrims, who reached Alipri to go Tirumala on foot were disappointed at the announcement informing the TTD decision that the cancellation of Divyadarshan tokens providing them facilities including preference in darshan and one laddu free of cost, came into force from today (Friday).

Highlights:

• The TTD decided to dispense with issuance of Divyadarshan tokens to the footpath pilgrims on weekends to streamline the darshan
• Devotees disappoint with TTD management’s decision

The TTD to streamline the darshan system decided to dispense with issuance of Divyadarshan tokens being issued to the footpath pilgrims on Alipiri route and Srivari Mettu pedestrian paths to Tirumala on weekends i.e. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The decision was taken a month back came into force from this weekend.

Though the TTD through media announced its decision and also made extensive arrangements to inform the pilgrims through public address system at all focal points in Tirumala and Tirupati, still scores of people were not aware of it. Elumalai, a pilgrim from Chennai, who came with his family after hearing the announcement at Alipiri, the start of the serpentine pedestrian path today vent his ire openly on TTD for cancelling the Divyadarshan token.

“It is the minimum gesture TTD is showing all these years to the devotees preferring the arduous trekking of the hills to reach Tirumala for darshan of Lord.

Why should they stop it? Why not they cancel VIP darshan to cope with the rush,” he asked in an angry tone. Same was the opinion of the almost all the devotees, who were visibly disappointed on coming to know the withdrawal of Divydarshan facility from Friday.

It may be noted that the TTD to minimise the waiting time for common pilgrims i.e. Sarvadarshan resolved to dispense with Divydarshan tokens on weekends. A temple official said the three-line queue system i.e. Special entry tickets (Rs 300), Divyadarshan (footpath pilgrims) and common pilgrims (Sarvadarshan line) proving cumbersome.

Further, the number of footpath pilgrim crossing 35,000 and weekends touching 50,000 and more also, giving preference to them in darshan delaying darshan for Sarvadarshan pilgrims. Sometime, the footpath pilgrims are protesting the delay in darshan which stirred the TTD to confine to two-line system for a hassle free darshan to common pilgrims.

A TTD official exuded confidence that initially there may some resentment from the footpath pilgrims but in the long run they will reconcile and cooperate with TTD decision as it is beneficial to the pilgrims at large.