Tirupati: It’s a statement that Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams officials routinely issue before the commencement of the annual nine-day Brahmotsvams of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala — that common devotees would be given priority in darshan, laddu prasadam, allotment of rooms and also in darshan at Vahana Sevas during the Brahmotsavams. But this is never done.
Every day, on an average, 60,000-70,000 devotees have darshan of Lord Venkateswara, a number that reaches 4-5 lakhs during the Brahmotsavam days, especially the Garuda Seva day, when people mill around the temple to catch a glimpse of the Garuda Vahanam, which is taken out in a procession on four mada streets after 7 pm. Last year, regular pilgrims, who had entered the galleries by 10 am, waited till midnight to have a darshan of Garuda Seva, braving the rain even as VIPs assembled in front of the temple and the chariot stopped at the same spot for two hours.
The TTD may say that it espouses the cause of the common man, but it continues its patronage of VIPs, providing them special darshans and special rooms at the expense of the poor. Common pilgrims wait hours, sometimes even one or two days, in the Sarvadarshan queue complex and are often forced to leave without having darshan. VIPs are able to get ‘break darshans’ without having to wait or being hustled out.
A couple of years ago, there were Sudershanam counters at Tirupati, where common devotees could purchase darshan tickets at the rate of Rs 50 per head.
According to the timings mentioned on the ticket, they would reach Tirumala and have darshan. At that time, TTD used to issue 35,000 tickets a day, which it later decreased. Now it is issuing only 2,500 tickets on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 8 pm and 9 pm.
The TTD has also eliminated the Rs 200 Archana Anantara Darshan (AAD), which was popular and affordable, and in its place, is sending in VIPs in the name of ‘break darshan’, where the number goes into thousands.
The TTD officials have not implemented hassle-free darshan for the common man, but has introduced ‘Special Entrance’ darshan at the rate of '300 per head, which has to be booked online only.
The TTD has provided free darshan for local residents of Tirupati on the first Tuesday of every month for which they should register their names by showing their Aadhaar cards. It has developed a software whereby local residents will have darshan only three months after availing the free darshan through Aadhaar-linked online booking. But there is no such restriction on VIPs, who can have darshan any number of times.
Common pilgrims will not also get a single room during Brahmotsavams because VIPs get preference in room allotments. Advance booking of rooms is not allowed and the common man has to wait for hours to get an ordinary room, that will not be equipped with geysers or even proper bedsheets.
Besides the Brahmotsavams, it’s on other auspicious occasions too, like Vaikunta Ekadasi, New Year’s day and weekend holidays, that the common man visiting Tirumala has to suffer due to non-availability of accommodation and darshan.
