Online Services to Ease Darshan for Devotees at Annavaram Temple
Special queue lines, online booking of darshan, accommodation, rituals and donations introduced to curb irregularities
Annavaram:In a bid to provide hassle-free services to devotees visiting Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy Temple at Annavaram, temple authorities have given priority to online services. Devotees who book tickets online will be allowed darshan through special queue lines, reducing waiting time significantly.
Online facilities have been extended to include darshan tickets, accommodation, vrathams, other sevas and prasadam tickets. Devotees can book these services through the aptemples.org website or via the Mana Mitra WhatsApp number 95523 00009, officials said.
Payments for services, including donations towards Nitya Annadanam and Go Samrakshana (cow protection) schemes, can be made using credit and debit cards, Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm and other UPI platforms.
Check on Malpractices
In the past, brokers had allegedly cornered accommodation rooms through multiple means and resold them to devotees at exorbitant prices, causing hardship especially to pilgrims from distant places. To put an end to such practices, devotees can now reserve rooms online from their homes.
Around 70 per cent of the total accommodation (approximately 336 rooms) at the temple has been made available for online booking. A maximum of two rooms can be booked per Aadhaar card and mobile number, and bookings can be made up to 12 hours in advance.
Digital Payments Push
As part of efforts to promote digital transactions, targets have been set for temples across the state, with major temples being ranked periodically to encourage better performance. Annavaram temple authorities are also creating awareness among devotees regarding digital payments.
Online counters have been set up at various locations within the temple premises, and extensive publicity is being undertaken to encourage the use of digital payment modes.
