TTD Warns Against False Social Media Posts On Vaikunta Dwara Darshan

TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman B.R. Naidu on Tuesday condemned misleading social media posts spreading false information about entry and darshan arrangements during the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan period at Tirumala, warning of legal action against those responsible.

Addressing the media in Tirumala, Naidu said certain posts were falsely claiming that devotees without tickets or tokens would not be allowed to enter Tirumala. He termed the claims baseless and urged devotees not to believe or circulate unverified information, asserting that no individual or group had the authority to restrict devotees from visiting Tirumala.

He said elaborate arrangements had been made for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan, scheduled from December 30 to January 8, based on experiences from previous years. Preparations had been under way for the past two months, with a state government sub-committee and a ministers’ sub-committee regularly reviewing arrangements in coordination with the TTD, he added.

Clarifying the entry norms, Naidu said there would be no restriction on devotees entering Tirumala. However, during the first three days, only devotees holding valid darshan tickets would be permitted for darshan. From January 2 to January 8, devotees can travel directly to Tirumala, enter the queue lines at designated points and complete darshan.

Emphasising that devotees’ safety was the top priority, Naidu said TTD executive officer Anil Kumar Singhal and additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary had introduced an online ticketing system for the first three days to prevent overcrowding and avoid risks such as stampedes witnessed in the past. He appealed to devotees to rely only on official TTD announcements and ignore misinformation on social media.