Tirumala: A video has surfaced on social media showing a family of four devotees wearing jute bags as footwear to protect their feet from hot cement roads along the four Mada streets of Lord Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala.
The video shot on the afternoon of April 2 has sparked mixed reactions. One is that of devotees trying an ingenious way of insulating their feet from the blazing cement surface.
Pilgrims have to be barefoot not only while going into the temple for darshan, but also while moving around the Mada streets.
The video of the family has also received brickbats. Some have questioned why the four did not use the facilities provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), like summer pandals, using roads smeared with coolant paint and periodical watering to cool the roads. Some places also have red carpets when the heat is high. There are also water sprinklers at places.
A few have even gone on to accuse the family of leaving the jute bags as litter after walking back to their car from the prasadam counter.
The hill town of Tirumala had once been known for its cool climes. But the temple town is now having to face high day temperatures due to rising global warming. Construction activities and cement roads have added to the heat.
Temperatures at Tirumala during summer oscillate between 36°C and 38°C, a few times touching 40°C, compared to 32°C–35°C a couple of years ago.
The video has, however, reignited discussions on the need for better amenities for devotees visiting the ancient hilltop temple, especially during the blazing summer.
