The annual Salakatla Brahmotsavam in Tirumala has entered its most vibrant and spiritually significant phase with lakhs of devotees from all over India. In order for tourists to arrive and for smooth operation during the festival, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and Andhra Pradesh Police Department have adopted traffic control on the hills leading to the famous temple town.
The Brahmotsavam festival is one of the largest religious gatherings in India, and people come in huge numbers every year. There will be even more people this year for the Garuda Seva, which is the chief attraction of the nine-day festival. In order to reduce the congestion and ensure the safety of pilgrims, officials have decided to completely ban the movement of two-wheelers on Tirumala ghat roads for a period of time.
The TTD said the ban on motorcycles and other two-wheelers came into effect at 9:00 PM on September 18 and will last until 6:00 AM on September 20. During this time, devotees travelling to Tirumala on bikes will not be allowed to use either of the ghat roads. They will have to park their vehicles in Tirupati and use RTC buses and other public transportation facilities provided for pilgrims.
TTD officials emphasised that the temporary restriction was introduced only as a precautionary step to prevent traffic bottlenecks from emerging and to ensure the smooth movement of emergency vehicles, temple services, and the large number of buses bringing people to the hill shrine. They also stressed that public cooperation in the preparation of the festival is important.
The grand Garuda Seva will take place on September 19. Lord Malayappa Swamy, the processional deity of Lord Venkateswara, will be taken on the Garuda Vahana in a grand procession through the four Mada Streets around the temple. The Garuda Seva is one of the most spiritually significant events of the Brahmotsavam and is attended by devotees from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and other states.
With lakhs of pilgrims expected to witness the divine procession, security arrangements have been strengthened in Tirumala. There are thousands of police personnel, surveillance teams, and temple security staff deployed to deal with crowds and traffic management and to keep the temple and the devotees safe. CCTV monitoring, barricading, and emergency response teams have been set up as part of the security plan.
TTD has said devotees should plan their travels ahead of time, follow traffic advisories, and use public transport when possible. Also, pilgrims should follow the guidelines of the temple for a smooth and peaceful darshan.
With Tirumala in the lead-up to the grand Garuda Seva, the holy hill town is filled with devotion, celebration, and spiritual fervour. Temporary traffic restrictions are being put in place to allow the smooth conduct of one of Hinduism’s most celebrated religious events and to provide for the millions of people who visit the shrine during the festival season to do so safely.
