People throng TTD post Ugadi

Tirupati: Heavy rush has been observed at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) since the Ugadi festival. According to the reports, the devotees have throng temple to get blessings from deities. The officials said that the temple hundi collection is far better after the pandemic situation. There have been no untoward incidents reported these days. The officials have said that more than 300 special darshan online tickets have been sold.

Earlier, The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam will release the tickets for the elderly, the disabled, and the chronically ill for Tirumala darshans. The special darshan quota for April will be released online at TTD. It is learned that the release of tokens has been postponed to April 8 instead of April 1 due to a technical glitch in the software.

The tickets will be issued at the rate of 1000 tokens per day, which will be allowed from April 9th. It is known that in the wake of the covid cases declining, TTD revived the darshan of the elderly and the paralyzed after two years.

However, they are allowed to take darshans through the physically challenged queue line every morning at 10 am. However, the darshans will be at 3 pm on Friday. TTD officials have appealed to the elderly, the disabled, and the chronically ill to take note of the matter and book tickets online.

On April 7, devotees turned out in large numbers to witness the Rathotsavam of Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple held. Rathotsavam was conducted as part of the Sri Kodanandarama Swamy Brahmotsavams which will conclude on Thursday with Chakrasnanam. The TTD resumed the conduct of the nine-day Brahmotsavams of the local temple this year after they were suspended due to the Covid pandemic for the last two years. The deities of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were adorned with dazzling ornaments, mounted on a colourful flower-decked Ratham and it was enthusiastically pulled by devotees chanting Rama Namam, on the four Mada streets around the temple.

As the Rathotsavam was held after a gap of two years, locals turned up in good numbers to witness the Utsavam. The devotional and cultural programmes by troupes from various places and Bhajans added more to the spiritual tempo witnessed during the hour-long Rahotsavam.