TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS DEVOTION AT TIRUMALA SAYS EO TTD
Tirumala, 14 Sep. 15: The Online ticketing for of Rs.300 (Sheegra darshan) and Rs.50 (Sudarshan) has immensely enhanced the spiritual environment of the devotees and reduced the devotees discomforts at Tirumala, says the TTD Executive Officer Sri D Sambashiv Rao.
The technology adaptation has reduced 10 hours of waiting time for devotees and attracted majority of devotees from northern states and increased the daily foot fall by over 10 % , he says in aa freewheeling interview with the TTD. News. TTD will not spare any effort to introduce latest technology and also administrative measures to ensure that every one coming to Tirumala will not go back with any bad memories and only with blessings and darshan of Lord Venkateswara, he said.
High lighting the various features of several path breaking initiatives underway for devotee comfort during the annual Brahmotsavams, Dr.Rao said the focus is for comfort of common devotees and masses. For devotees benefit now we are issuing laddu tokens both online and also at the Vaikuntham Queue complex so that after darshan the devotees can straight away buy laddus instead of joining another queue. ‘All the festivals, exhibitions and events are re-engineered for only for promotion and propagation of Sanatana Hindu dharma ‘he said.
The executive officer said the devotees are very happy to visit Tirumala without hassle of waiting in queues for accommodation and darshan tickets as now everything with specific time slots are available online .’Even two laddus can be bought online now “he says explaining how the technology adaptation in its services for devotees has made a lot difference in TTD administration dedicated for common devotees.
Recoounting the success of online schemes Dr Rao said TTD had a whopping 28 lakh registrations for online services which revealed the thrust of the masses for Darshan and services of TTD at Tirumala . By linking the OTP to mobile numbers and also other ID’s we are successful in ensuring that the devotees could get Arjita seva tickets once in a while and not routinely again and again, he said .TTD has simplified the systems for devotee comfort and our goal is to serve the masses and the common devotees “, he adds.
He said the TTD has initiated several steps to enhance spiritual and devotional elixir during the Vahanam processions at four mada streets. The SVBC has been equipped with latest gadgets and refurbished transmission, heavy duty cranes( jimmy jigs)and also display through over 23 LED screens around the Temple and Mada streets to that everyone of devotees who were spilling over the streets could witness the processions. “The goal is that all devotees at Tirumala who throng from various towns of the Chittoor and neighbouring Tamil Nadu in large number could experience the grandeur and majestic glory of the processions of the Lord Venkateswara “he says.
Special arrangements for food, drinking water, sanitation, toilets and also visibility of the procession till the last man in the gallery at Mada Street have been made by the TTD for this Brahmotsavams .’Special care is taken so that there is no mix up of crowds for Srivari Darshan and those at the Mada street galleries and facilities are separately organised “he said.
TTD has totally refurbished the display of Electrical installations at Tirumala and Tirupati, Flower shows and Photo exhibitions with better themes that attract the youth and the middle classes that are the back bone of the pilgrim crowds. Soon we will have discourses and commentaries in English for benefit of the north Indian and also younger generations.
For the sake of the current Brahmotsavams beginning on Wednesday the TTD also plans to open up the foot walker’s path on a 24 hour basis for the duration of the Garuda Seva on September 20th and 21st. Srivari Mettu path is of 2838 and took just 2 hours for aged and only 45 minutes for youngsters .This route is wild animal prone hence shut down after sun set at 5.30 PM but we will open it up for benefit of locals, he said.
ISSUED BY TTD PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, TIRUPATI