A vital advisory for devotees who wish to visit the hill shrine of Lord Venkateshwara has been presented by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has decided to suspend the Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) as well as some other specially opted-for darshan formats for three consecutive days ahead of the Ratha Saptami.
The change should not be a hassle to devotees on their pilgrimage, they are urged to take note of it. The event, also known as "Ratha Saptami or Ardha Brahmotsavam," is a grand affair at Tirumala, which is the festival bringing the deity out on seven different types of Vahanas (vehicles) in a single day. Because the magnitude of this event would attract vast numbers in prayerful season, TTD has cancelled SSD tokens from January 24 to 26.
The board's move to suspend the slot-based tokens may be a good way to better handle this influx of pilgrims, and it may make certain the "Sarva Darshan" (free darshan) lines don't become clogged for the thousands of the devotees who attend the ceremony without all of the reservations made before. Major Changes in Darshan & Services. To make the festival period easier for common pilgrims, TTD has imposed stringent measures:
- VIP Privileges: All VIP Break Darshans are cancelled with the exception of the ones under 'Protocol' (officials).
- Recommendation Letters: The board has also clarified that recommendation letters from politicians (or personalities) will not be entertained during these three days.
- Arjitha Sevas: Special rituals such as Kalyanotsavam, Unjal Seva, Arjitha Brahmotsavam, Sahasra Deepalankara Seva are cancelled.
- Special Categories: Special darshans for Senior Citizens, Physically Challenged individuals, parents with infants, NRIs have also been placed on hold temporarily.
Ratha Saptami Schedule: 26 January
The annual celebration will take place on 26 January. The most important part of the festival is the worship held on the 26th day, when Lord Venkateshwara blesses devotees with special blessings along with different vahanas. Schedule (vahanas) The calendar sets forth:
- Surya Prabha Vahana: 5:30–8:00 AM (Sunrise at 6:45 AM).
- Chinna Sesha Vahana: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Garuda Vahana: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The processions will be accompanied by other vehicles throughout the day, and culminate in the evening.
Record-breaking Vaikunta Dwara Darshan
The announcement follows the success of the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshan. TTD said numbers hit record highs this year:
- Devotee Count: A whopping 7.83 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine, up from 6.83 lakh.
- Revenue: In only ten days, the Hundi collection had stood at ₹41.14 crore.
- Laddus: The distribution of 44 lakh laddus is 10 lakh higher than that of the previous year.
Advice for Pilgrims
TTD officials hold high-level meetings with all departments to make sure that minimum requirements for water, food, and security remain even though there is a great deal of rush. They are asked to work with temple employees and schedule their time. If you do not have a pre-booked ticket, expect waiting times in the general compartments to be longer.
