TIRUPATI: A Hyderabad-based NGO, Ashtothara Shatha Chukkala Charitable, helped 108 physically handicapped devotees walk up the footsteps of Tirumala and have darshan of Lord Venkateswara on Monday.
The volunteers of the NGO carried the devotees throughout the trekking path of Srivari Mettu, which is situated between Srinivasa Mangapuram and Tirumala, a distance of 3 km.
The trust also brought nearly 200 poor devotees from Hyderabad along with the PHC devotees and arranged them transportation and food. They offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara in the evening.
Speaking on the occasion, trust chairman C. Venu Kumar said that after completing his 233rd trip, Tirupati Tirumala Sopana (Pada) Yatra on October 24, the trust had planned to celebrate the 234th trip in a unique way.
“As part of this, 108 physically handicapped devotees were brought with us along with other devotees. They were sponsored by the trust based on their economical backwardness, and made the yatra successful,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a bid to make the darshan queue lines devotee-friendly, the TTD management has been chalking out plans to identify the sticking points and make necessary changes to them. As part of this, TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal convened a meeting with senior officials at the administrative building at Tirupati on Monday.
