TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) management has introduced a new scheme, which enables pilgrims to have a hearty meal along with the Lord's darshan.

Besides tiffin, milk and meals given to all pilgrims waiting in the `Vaikuntam' queue complex-II, the TTD provides free meal to over 25,000 devotees in its massive Annadanam complex everyday.

`Prasadam'

This meal is referred to as `Prasadam' and devotees wish to have it, irrespective of their financial and social status.

Until now, the free-meal token was only distributed inside the temple to the devotees leaving after offering prayers so as to benefit the `real' devotees and keep off the urchins. However, as the darshan time started varying in the `Sudarsanam' system and due to other factors such as queue lines and rituals in the temple, a devotee is often forced to either skip or postpone his lunch/supper by several hours causing serious health problems especially in the case of senior citizens and children.

New facility

To make things simpler, the TTD Board recently approved the idea by which a perforated slip is added to the `Sudarsanam' token making it a multipurpose token for darshan-cum-meal.

With this system, a pilgrim can present his/her thumb impression at the meal counter, have lunch and then visit the temple.

This new arrangement introduced a few of days ago is only an additional facility and the issue of meal slips inside the temple will continue.

Though presently confined to the Rs.50 ticket-holders, devotees in `dharmadasanam' queue will also be included in the next part of the scheme.

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