Common pilgrims hail changes in break darshan timings: EO

Tirumala: TTD Executive Officer A V Dharma Reddy claimed that the common pilgrims welcomed the decision to change the VIP break darshan timing as it brought down the waiting time for them for darshan of Lord. TTD changed the VIP break darshan time on an experimental basis from early morning to 8 am with effect from December 1.

Speaking to media after the monthly 'Dial Your TTD EO' programme in Tirumala on Saturday, the EO said the three-day experience revealed that the common pilgrims were found much elated as it brought down the waiting time considerably particularly for those overnight waiting pilgrims in the queue complex. The EO said that the change enabled TTD to provide darshan to about 15,000 common pilgrims waiting from the previous night, before the commencement of VIP break darshan i.e. at 8 am. Added benefit of VIP break darshan timing change was, EO said it will help ease the pressure on accommodation in Tirumala where accommodation facility was limited as the VIPs need not stay for the night to have darshan early in the morning. He further said Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who had darshan on Saturday, also lauded the change in VIP break darshan timing as she could straight away come from Chennai instead of staying overnight for break darshan today.

However, the EO said after studying the benefits due to the change of break darshan timing particularly with regard to common pilgrims, TTD will take a final call on changing the time after a month. A total of 33 callers spoke to TTD EO over phone bringing various issues and giving feedback and suggestions on improving pilgrim services. Callers Swamy and Sivarao from Ponnuru urged EO to include asthma patients also for the privileged darshan for senior citizens while a caller complained on the poor quality of rice served to devotees in Annadanam centre and another Krishnamurthy of Bengaluru on the inordinate delay in getting laddus after darshan. The devotees said time took for darshan was much less than he waited in the line to get laddus after darshan.

The EO said due to TTD terminating the agency, which is entrusted with the distribution of laddus for malpractices by its staff, there was some problems in providing laddus to devotees. It was sorted out and in the last three days, the distribution returned to normalcy and soon it will be without delay with TTD deputing its regular staff and also trained outsourcing employees to operate the laddu counters.

Another pilgrim caller Govindarajan from Tiruchanur brought to the notice of EO about the menace of stray cattle in different places in Tirupati, to which the EO replied, TTD has been taking care of stray cattle also. "If anyone brings to our notice, we are taking them to our Palamaner Gosala and providing them enough care," he maintained.