TIRUMALA: The abode of Lord Venkateswara is reeling under the impact of the heavy year-end rush. The pilgrim crowd, which started swelling since Saturday evening reached its peak by Sunday afternoon causing anxious moments to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) authorities.

The second queue complex meant for the ordinary pilgrims was full to its capacity and the queue lines stretched outside the massive complex.

While the waiting time for the darshan for pilgrims opting the Rs. 50 special entry tickets crossed 50 hours it stretched beyond 66 hours for pilgrims in the dharma darshan queue lines. The TTD management introduced the `Maha laghu darshan' system to bring the crowd under control.

Heated arguments

Pilgrims were forced to wait for several hours at the TTD reception counters to secure a minimum accommodation. Heated arguments between the pilgrims and the reception staff was a common sight. Unable to bear the pressure the reception staff frequently abandoned the counters.

The `Hundi' registered a record by netting an income of more than Rs. 1 crore on all the past three days in a row. On Sunday alone the collection were about Rs. 1.5 crores.

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