In Tirupati, special access to the deity

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has started issuing special tokens for the darshan of Sri Venkateshwara in the hill temple of Tirumala as of December 2024.

This fulfils a long pending demand of the people in Tirumala and nearby areas to have special access to the temple and its main deity. The TTD said that 2,500 tokens were handed out from six newly established counters in Tirupati and 500 from a community hall in Balaji Nagar, Tirumala.

Residents of Tirumala, Tirupati, Chandragiri and Renigunta have to show a copy of their Aadhaar card to get a token, which allows them a special darshan at Tirumala on the first Tuesday of every month. Reports said big crowds turned up for the free tickets in early December.

In a related move, the TTD has doubled the number of tickets for the Srivari Seva Darshan (a special darshan for volunteers who perform seva for fellow pilgrims) from 100 to 200. These are available at the counter at Tirupati airport — passengers only need to show a valid boarding pass. Plenty of tourists fly into Tirupati from all over the country, and this should prove beneficial for those who don’t have prior bookings.