QR Code System Keeps Tirumala Mada Streets Free of Footwear
With footwear deposit counters and digital tagging, devotees can now leave and collect their footwear quickly from designated locations, improving movement in high-footfall stretches
TIRUPATI: The Smart Footwear Deposit and Retrieval system being implemented by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has helped keep the four sacred mada streets around the Srivari Temple in Tirumala free of scattered footwear.
Introduced in September 2025, the QR code–based footwear management and tracking facility has been designed to address the long-standing inconvenience faced by pilgrims who earlier left footwear in open areas around temple access routes and queue complexes.
With footwear deposit counters and digital tagging, devotees can now leave and collect their footwear quickly from designated locations, improving movement in high-footfall stretches.
According to TTD data, the system handled a total of 8,45,816 deposit-delivery transactions from September 2025 to February 15, 2026. During this period, 4,24,047 pairs of footwear had been received and 4,21,769 pairs returned, indicating a high retrieval rate and consistent functioning.
Centre-wise footwear deposit and retrieval figures show that the Pilgrims Amenities Complex-5 handled the highest volume, receiving 1,38,270 pairs and returning 1,37,904. The Ram Bageecha Rest House centre recorded 76,556 collections and 76,071 returns, while Krishna Teja Circle handled 56,019 collections and 55,428 returns.
At the Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasadam Complex, 55,238 pairs had been deposited and 54,928 returned. The Vaikuntam Queue Complex centre recorded 53,250 collections and 53,098 returns, and the Alwar Tank Guest House facility handled 44,714 collections with 44,340 returns.
Officials say the footwear deposit and retrieval system is operating smoothly even during peak pilgrim flow. Between February 1 and 15 alone, 1,35,314 transactions had been recorded across the centres.
TTD additional executive officer Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary had initiated the project to resolve the problem of accumulating footwear along the temple streets, which caused inconvenience and affected cleanliness. The facility is being maintained with the support of Coromandel International Limited under the supervision of the TTD Health wing.
“Footwear is strictly prohibited along the mada streets surrounding the temple due to daily religious processions. The footwear deposit and retrieval system has helped maintain order in the sacred zone. Devotees have also expressed satisfaction saying loss of footwear seen earlier has largely been eliminated,” Chowdary said.
In view of steady usage of footwear deposit and retrieval centres, TTD plans to open additional centres at Kalyanakatta, Bedi Anjaneya Swamy Temple and ATC Circle for the convenience of pilgrims approaching from different directions.