Tirumala witness heavy rains

Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, witnessed heavy rains on Saturday, which started early in the morning and continued for about six hours. Devotees from other States were caught unaware of the downpour and faced difficulties.

Despite the downpour, devotees’ rush was very high due to auspicious third Saturday of poratasi month considered to be holy for devotees from Tamil Nadu. The queue line swelled resulting in the queue complex full within hours and extended to Narayana Gardens bypass road, Silaathoranam to octopus building near Gogarbham dam. Temple sources said those not having darshan tokens have to wait 18 to 20 hours for darshan. TTD authorities made arrangements for food and beverages like tea and coffee to pilgrims waiting in queue lines.