10-day Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam from today
Tirupati: The Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has completed extensive preparations for the annual Vaikuntha Ekadasi celebrations at the Tirumala temple. The 10-day religious event will be held from December 30 to January 8, during which devotees will be allowed Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan at the shrine of Lord Venkateswara.
Vaikuntha Ekadasi is considered one of the most sacred festivals at Tirumala. Devotees firmly believe that passing through the Vaikuntha Dwaram inside the temple brings spiritual liberation and eternal peace. This special entrance is open only once a year and remains accessible for 10 days starting from Vaikuntha Ekadasi following the tradition introduced in the recent years.
Given the spiritual importance of the occasion, lakhs of pilgrims are expected to visit Tirumala during this period.
To manage the heavy footfall, TTD has introduced several changes and facilities aimed at improving the comfort of devotees. Queue lines have been redesigned based on public feedback, with seating arrangements, drinking water points and additional toilets provided nearby. Considering the cold weather, special steps have been taken to ensure that food distributed to waiting devotees remains warm. Extra mobile water tankers and three mobile food vans have also been deployed.
According to the darshan plan, 57,000 devotees will be allowed darshan on Vaikuntha Ekadasi, followed by 64,000 on Vaikuntha Dwadasi and 55,000 on January 1. From January 2 to January 8, devotees can have Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan without any darshan tickets, allowing pilgrims who arrive without prior bookings to participate in the festival.
TTD has assigned Srivari Sevaks to manage queues, distribute food and supply drinking water. Security arrangements have been strengthened with the deployment of vigilance personnel and around 3,000 district police staff to ensure smooth crowd control and safety.
Sarva Darshan will begin at 5.30 am on Tuesday after the completion of VVIP darshan and will continue until late at night. TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal said that e-dip tokens have been issued for the first three days. From January 2 onwards, devotees without tokens will be allowed darshan, along with 1,000 Srivani ticket holders and 15,000 special entry darshan ticket holders each day.
Several religious events are also scheduled during the festival. The Swarna Ratham procession will be held on Tuesday between 9 am and 11 am. On Vaikuntha Dwadasi, the sacred Swami Pushkarini Theertha Mukkoti ritual will take place, followed by Chakra Snanam of Sudarshana Chakrattalwar in the holy tank between 4.30 am and 5.30 am.
Adding to the festive atmosphere, TTD has set up a special ‘Ranganatha Mandapam’ in front of the temple to attract visiting devotees. As part of the annual tradition, statues of various deities have been installed, including Lord Ranganatha, Ashta Lakshmi and the Dashavataras. A statue of Lord Venkateswara has also been placed for devotees who are unable to enter the temple for darshan. With support from donors, about Rs 40 lakh has been spent on this arrangement.
The garden department has planned grand floral decorations for the event, using nearly 45 tonnes of flowers and around 1.5 lakh cut flowers over the 10-day period. The floral designs will be refreshed on the fourth and seventh days to maintain a vibrant and festive appearance throughout the celebrations.
