The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Huge pilgrim influx at Tirumala

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 23, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Huge pilgrim influx at Tirumala

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI. Dec 22. Vaikuntha Ekadasi witnessed a huge congregation of pilgrims at the Tirumala temple of Lord Venkateswara on Wednesday. With nearly a lakh pigrims thronging the hill shrine, there was a slight dislocation of the darshan and accommodation systems. Eye witness accounts said that the rush was so much that irate pilgrims in compartment No. 4 of the II Queue Complex, restive over long waiting, wrenched the iron gate open and jumped over the lines. The situation was brought under control only with police intervention. With the TTD Board scheduling its monthly meeting for Tuesday and Wednesday, senior officials were said to have remained preoccupied with the meeting and other related works leaving pilgrims high and dry.

Tasteful decoration

The temple and its environs were tastefully decorated with colourful flowers, serial lamps, cutouts and rangoli befitting the festival. The `Vaikuntha dwaram' around the sanctum sanctorum was thrown open to the pilgrims and this was another reason for the huge pilgrim influx. The dwaram (door) is opened only once in a year -- on the Vaikuntha Ekadasi day -- and closed the next day after Dwadasi. The TTD made arrangements for the production of extra laddus to meet the demand and the same is expected to be continued till Sankranthi when the season would end. It is taking nearly 48 hours for the pilgrims to get a darshan in the temple these days in view of the heavy rush.

The TTD has geared itself up to meet the New Year demand as well. It has made arrangements for the sale of calendars, diaries, audio and visual CD-ROMs on temple rituals and devotional programmes. Special parking lots have been provided and traffic is being regulated.

The TTD decorated its local temples at Tirupati, Tiruchanoor and Srinivasamangapuram. The entire town wore a festive look.

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