Vaikunta Dwara Darshan at Tirumala Limited to 1.76 Lakh Devotees on First 3 Days
Darshan numbers for the opening days have been fixed after assessing queue complex capacity, inner temple circulation space, and emergency preparedness.
With the time and space being fixed, TTD authorities have decided on the maximum numbers that can be permitted on each of these days – December 30, December 31 and January 1 – after assessing the carrying capacity of the queue complexes and the pace of pilgrims having the darshan of Lord Venkateswara.
Officials said their focus during the opening phase will be on regulating movement, rather than expanding access. This approach finds reflection in the registration and allotment data released for the three days.
Around 24.05 lakh devotees have registered through the electronic dip (e-dip) system. But only 1.76 lakh pilgrims have been allotted the darshan slots in line with the capacity limits.
The highest demand is from Andhra Pradesh with 11,53,689 registrations. Of them, 92,221 devotees have been allotted the darshan opportunity. The corresponding figures for Telangana are 6,07,995 and 49,127; Karnataka 2,95,703 and 23,729; Tamil Nadu 2,39,335 and 18,838; and Maharashtra 50,344 and 4,032. Registrations from Kerala and most northern, eastern and central states are limited to a few hundred, with allotments running in two digits.
A senior TTD official explained: “Darshan numbers have been fixed after evaluating the capacity of Vaikuntam queue complexes, inner temple circulation space and emergency preparedness, all of which come under strain during the opening days of Vaikunta Dwara Darshan.”
This year, darshan during the first three days has been restricted to devotees holding pre-issued tokens, marking a shift from earlier years when Sarva Darshan queues remained open even during the peak rush.
Officials said past experience showed that unrestricted entry on Vaikunta Ekadasi often led to overcrowding and prolonged waiting times, making crowd regulation difficult once queues swelled beyond manageable limits.
However, TTD chairman B.R. Naidu asserted that general pilgrims will have access to the Lord during most of the festival period, noting that 164 of the total 182 Vaikunta Dwara Darshan hours have been allocated to them. He said Sarva Darshan will resume from January 2, when pilgrim inflow is expected to ease.
Until 2020, Vaikunta Dwara Darshan had been limited to two days, with footfall ranging between 1.63 lakh and 1.77 lakh. After this darshan has been extended to 10 days, overall numbers have risen sharply, with 6.83 lakh devotees having darshan in January 2025. For the period from December 30, 2025 to January 8, 2026 period, TTD expects between 7.0 and 7.5 lakh devotees having their darshan, with the first three days being the most challenging.
