“ON-LINE BOOKING MADE MORE PILGRIM-FRIENDLY”-TTD EO
TIRUMALA, JULY 3: TTD Executive Officer Dr D Samba Siva Rao on Friday asserted that the management has taken initiative to make on-line booking more pilgrim-friendly.
Addressing media persons at Annamaiah Bhavan after the Dial Your EO programme, he said, with an aim to provide hassle free and comfortable darshan to more number of pilgrims, TTD has brought some amendments in the existing on-line booking system of special entry darshan. “Now the pilgrims can book the tickets on line till midnight. The on-line quota for Rs.300 is extended to 26thousands and Rs.50 to 4000. The darshan for both these categories is provided from 9am to 9pm every day in different slots”, he maintained. Some excerpts:
Special Entry Booking extended up to one day in advance up to 12 Midnight
Dispensed Photo uploading of accompanying pilgrims
Introduced AADHAAR and Ration Card in Internet Booking
Special Entry Darshan revised No. of Slots with Quota week name wise:
Special Entry & Sudarshanam Quota Details for one Week
S.No Day No. of Slots Slot Timings No. of Tickets to be released
300 50 Total
1 Sunday, Monday & Tuesday 13 9 AM to 9 PM 26,000 4,000 30,000
2 Wednesday 12 10 AM to 9 PM 24,500 4,000 28,500
3 Thursday 8 9 AM to 4 PM 19,000 0 19,000
4 Friday 11 10 AM to 8 PM 22,000 4,000 26,000
5 Saturday 12 9 AM to 8 PM 24,000 4,000 28,000
Week Total : 1,67,500 24,000 1,91,500
Average Per Day : 23,929 3,429 27,357
TAMIL CHANNEL IN OFFING:
The Executive Officer also said, as the number of pilgrims who are visiting Tirumala from Tamil Nadu occupies second place next to Telugu States, TTD is contemplating to launch a Tamil Channel will soon.
TTD’s REPLICA TEMPLE TO BE A MAJOR ATTRACTION DURING PUSHKARAMS:
TTD EO said, the replica temple which is going to be erected in Rajamundry is going to be a special attraction during Godavari Mahapushkaram. He said, all the works will be completed by July 10. “The muhurat for the opening of the temple has been fixed on 13th July at 9:30am by the pundits”, he maintained.
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e-PUBLICATIONS BY JULY 15
All the 2000 odd publications of TTD will be placed on the TTD official website for the sake of the netizens by July 15, said TTD Executive Officer Dr D Samba Siva Rao.
While attending to the calls of numerous pilgrim callers from across the country and overseas on Friday as a part of the monthly Dial Your Programme at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala, the EO reacted to the query of a caller Sri Koteswara Rao from Hyderabad saying that all the books will be digitized and placed on the web by mid of July. “We have already placed Sapthagiri magazine in all six languages and now the process is under way to keep all our publications on web. The pilgrims also have the option to subscribe our magazine through on-line”, he maintained.
Meanwhile over a dozen queries poured in on how to get a comfortable, hassle-free darshan including a caller Smt Jayalakshmi from Texas, USA. Replying to these callers, the EO said TTD has enabled Rs.300 on-line booking by bringing some amendments in the booking system. The pilgrims all over the world can book these tickets with ease and have a pleasant darshan of Lord Venkateswara”, he maintained.
Answering pilgrims callers Sri Charabandam Reddy and Sri Kumara Swamy from Krishna district, the EO said the prime motto of TTD is to protect, preserve and promote Hindu Sanatana Dharma. “For this we are planning unique programmes with HDPP including the supply of short books on epics, training programme to teachers and students on moral values through famous fables and stories from puranas etc. Even we are supplying Bharata, Bhagavata books at subsidized rates to libraries with an intention to develop moral values among the children. We are also conducting summer camps to students on moral values”, he maintained.
Another pilgrim caller, Smt Padmaja from USA suggested decorating Goddesses during Kalyanotsavam with floral plait as they enhance the grandeur of the deities. Replying this query, the EO said, the suggestion is well taken and will be discussed with agama scholars.
Answering a pilgrim caller Sri K Srinivas from Srikakulam, the EO said on-line allotment of accommodation will be soon implemented in Vishnu Nivasam located in Tirupati on the lines of Tirumala to enhance transparency in the system.
Reacting to a pilgrim caller Sri Kumar from Tirupati, the EO said, training to the students in Srinivasa Gadyam will be re-introduced at Mahati Auditorium in Tirupati.
Tirumala JEO Sri KS Sreenivasa Raju, All Projects Spl Officer Sri N Mukteswara Rao, CE Sri Chandra Sekhar Reddy, Additional CVSO Sri Siva Kumar Reddy and others were also present.
ISSUED BY TTDs PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, TIRUPATI