Heavy Rush For Garuda Seva Stretches Traffic, Crowd Management Capabilities

The mada street galleries, which served as viewing points for the procession, had filled to capacity much earlier during the day, forcing officials to halt further entry. Many pilgrims, who could not secure seats, remained on the ring road, searching for alternative entry points. Iron fences along the access routes created an uneasy situation for devotees eager to reach the galleries.

Tight regulations had been put in place at access roads. The down road from Lepakshi to Rambhagicha remained closed, opening only for official and VIP movements. Pilgrims could use only the parallel up road. At certain points, such as the Saptagiri Guest House, verification of passes for families of TTD employees, police and media members caused long delays. At some locations, pilgrims attempted to cross barricades. Security personnel thwarted their attempts.

On approach roads to Tirupati, pilgrims went through multiple diversions to prevent congestion on the ghat roads and atop Tirumala. With parking atop the hill restricted to around 8,000 vehicles, authorities diverted private cars to parking grounds at Alipiri, ISKCON, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Devlok, Mango Market and Cherlopalli.

From these points onwards, pilgrims depended largely on APSRTC buses, which led to queues and delays, inconveniencing families with children and elderly.

Amid all the confusion, free food and water provided a bit of relief to the waiting pilgrims. Despite the challenges, devotees remained longing for the opportunity to witness the Garuda Vahana Seva as a spiritual reward.