Devotees Flock in Large Numbers to Visit Tirumala: Devotees are flocking to Tirumala in large numbers. With the Diwali festival holidays coinciding with the weekly holidays, many devotees are reaching Tirumala to have darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Since Friday evening, the influx of devotees has increased, leading to a wait time of 20 to 24 hours for ordinary devotees without tickets or tokens to have darshan. Devotees are lining up outside, with all compartments in the Vaikuntham Queue Complex and the sheds in the Narayanagiri Garden completely filled.
In response to the heavy crowds, TTD officials have made all necessary advance arrangements. Devotees in the queue outside, as well as those in the compartments, are being continuously supplied with refreshments by the service volunteers of the temple. Meanwhile, to prevent traffic issues due to the crowd, police and vigilance personnel are monitoring vehicle movements and parking.
The previous day, it took 18 hours for devotees without tokens to have darshan of the Lord. All compartments were also filled with devotees waiting for darshan. The queue extended all the way to the ATGH line. A total of 67,785 devotees had darshan of Lord Venkateswara, and 27,753 devotees offered their hair as an offering. The temple’s hundi collection amounted to ₹2.38 crore.
