Heavy influx of devotees for Brahmotsavam fete

The temple administration which indefinitely suspended darshan for trekking devotees on the Garuda Seva eve has resumed the Divya darshan and the pedestrian pathways leading into the hill shrine have been witnessing a heavy influx of devotees.

Meanwhile, according to TTD sources, waiting time for Sarvadarshan is taking anywhere close to 25-long-hours and even for the Divya Darshan the devotees are to wait in serpentine queue lines for 12 hours to complete the darshan of Lord Venkateswara.

The only respite for the devotees is Rs 300 special entry darshan which is taking lesser time in comparison to the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. And with the temple administration suspending current booking quota for Rs 300 special entry darshan besides darshan for the aged, physically challenged, parents of new born and the NRIs, there has been additional pressure on other darshan systems including the Sarvadarshan and the Divya darshan.

Meanwhile, getting accommodation has become a herculean task for the common devotees owing to the heavy crowds continuing to bee-line to the hill shrine besides a majority of rooms already being blocked for all those ‘in-service’ of the Lord during the ongoing Brahmotsavam.

The temple administration is maintaining a buffer stock of Srivari laddus to cope with the heavy pilgrim rush. According to TTD sources, about 34,543 devotees had the darshan of Lord Venkateswara since 3 am to 6 pm on Thursday and tens of thousands of devotees are waiting for their turn for darshan.