Tirumala Vaikuntha Dwara darshan sees record 7.83 lakh devotees, Rs 41 crore hundi collections

Tirumala: A record 7.83 lakh devotees had Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan at Tirumala during the 10-day annual event, marking a significant rise of nearly one lakh more pilgrims compared to last year, said Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman BR Naidu.

Addressing the media at Tirumala, he said the surge in footfall reflected improved planning and efficient execution by TTD.

A post-darshan feedback survey also revealed that 93 per cent of devotees expressed satisfaction with the arrangements.

Rs 41 crore hundi income in 10 days

Highlighting the financial performance during the Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan period, the TTD Chairman said the temple received a hundi income of Rs 41 crore over the 10 days, indicating strong devotional participation by pilgrims.

Srivari laddu sales see sharp rise

TTD also recorded the sale of 44 lakh Srivari laddus during the period, which is 10 lakh more than last year. The increase underscores both higher pilgrim turnout and smoother distribution mechanisms, officials said.

Improved management and planning

The Chairman attributed the success to coordinated efforts across departments, better queue management and enhanced pilgrim amenities, which together enabled TTD to accommodate a larger number of devotees while maintaining service quality.

Enhanced Annadanam and floral decorations

TTD also served 27 per cent more annadanam (free meals) to devotees compared to the previous year. The temple premises were grandly decorated using 50 tonnes of traditional flowers, 10 tonnes of fruits and 4 tonnes of cut flowers, creating a visually spectacular and devotional ambience.

Improved services for devotees

The Chairman said services such as Kalyanakattta (tonsuring), sanitation and medical facilities were significantly strengthened.

By implementing planned modifications in queue lines, TTD was able to facilitate darshan for more devotees than initially estimated, he added.

Huge response to Srivani Online current booking

BR Naidu said the Srivani online current booking system received an overwhelming response from devotees.

As part of a pilot initiative, 800 Srivani darshan tickets, which were earlier issued offline at Tirumala, were released online on Friday at 9 am. All tickets were booked within just seven minutes.

Devotees who secured these tickets will be provided darshan at 4 pm on the same day, he said.

Meanwhile, the offline current booking system at Tirupati Airport, issuing 200 Srivani tickets per day, will continue as usual, TTD clarified.

TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal, Additional EO Venkayya Chowdary, SP Subbarayudu and CVSO Murali Krishna were also present.