Every day the sacred Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati holds various sevas and rituals, drawing thousands of devotees from around India and beyond. Most devotees purchase tickets for special sevas and darshan slots, about a month or two in advance, for the blessings of Lord Venkateswara.
The temple administration, however, has announced that some sevas as well as VIP darshan services will be cancelled on March 17 because of a major temple ritual. Temple management body Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) said the cancellation is due to the Alwar Thirumanjanam, which is scheduled to be on the same day during preparations for the Ugadi celebrations.
Spiritual Rites at Tirumala, Alwar Thirumanjanam
Alwar Thirumanjanam is a significant purification ceremony carried out in the Tirumala temple. When it's ready, the sanctum, the structure and the surrounding temple are well purified with the mixture made from natural ingredients such as camphor, turmeric, sandalwood paste and other sacred substances. It is traditionally done four times per year, according to temple traditions and Agama Shastra.
The ritual is planned for the days of four of the temple's most important festivals:
- Ugadi.
- Anivara Asthanam.
- Brahmotsavam.
- Vaikuntha Ekadashi.
The ritual, carrying out significant cleaning and preparation within the temple and not allowing darshan during some hours, is strictly forbidden.
VIP Darshan Cancelled on March 17
Alwar Thirumanjanam: VIP Break Darshan and Ashtadala Pada Padmaradhana Seva will be cancelled due to Alwar Thirumanjanam on Tuesday; as per TTD officials. The temple administration also announced that recommendation letters for VIP Break Darshan will not be accepted from March 16. It ensures a smooth course of the ritual and adheres to the sanctity of temple traditions.
Ugadi Asthanam on March 19
The Ugadi Asthanam, a special ceremonial event marking the Telugu New Year will be held for everyone on March 19, 2026 at the Tirumala temple. Even on that day, VIP Break Darshan would be still cancelled for the public. VIP darshan will only be available to main government dignitaries and official representatives. TTD, who also confirmed that recommendation letters for VIP darshan shall not be accepted on March 18.
Crowd Situation in Tirupati
At the same time, crowds at Tirumala appear generally lower in recent days, apparently because there were no significant holidays. Normally more than 75,000 people visit Tirumala daily to have darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Yet, data from the temple reveals that 63,772 devotees went to the temple on March 4 with 59,194 devotees receiving darshan on March 5.
Yet despite the low crowd, devotees using Sarva Darshan (free darshan queue) may still need to wait for something like 6-10 hours getting to the temple and finishing the path as well.
Advisory for Devotees
TTD has requested devotees who intend to visit Tirumala on dates like these to check darshan schedules in advance and assist the temple authorities. Once the rituals and Ugadi celebrations have been completed, normal darshan and seva services will resume as usual.
