TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), in a bid to increase accommodation and allow a large number of devotees to have darshan of the Lord of Seven Hills, is planning to have double decker and triple decker cots in the existing rooms.
TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal has proposed this innovative idea to increase the existing accommodation by twice or thrice to help the pilgrim flow at Tirumala. As on date, the TTD has accommodation for 45,000 people at Tirumala, and there is no possibility of adding more rooms to the existing guest houses, cottages, suites and dormitories.
The EO has suggested the concerned to introduce double-decker or triple-decker cots instead of the existing traditional single cots. On a trial basis, the TTD officials are going to introduce double-decker cots made of pure steel.Singhal discussed with Tirumala JEO KS Sreenivasa Raju about the proposal and instructed him to make the plans accordingly. He held discussions with the engineering officials and instructed them to make at least one or two designs of cots initially, which can be modified later.
After evaluating the pilgrim rush in 2017-18, the TTD has revealed that on an average the flow is 78,000 per day. During peak days, the flow crosses 1.2 lakh and in lean days, it is 45,000. So, on any given day, there is nearly houseful situation at Tirumala.
According to a study, 310 days in a year, the pilgrims have to wait at least for a minimum of four hours to get accommodation (A room to stay for 24 hours). Another 30 to 40 days, pilgrims get accommodation in an hour’s duration. Remaining 10 to 15 days, pilgrims have access to get accommodation before an hour.
The TTD is planning to increase accommodation for the large number of devotees in the existing accommodation, instead of constructing new ones. Already, many huge constructions have come up on the hill shrine. Many devotees are visiting Tirumala with newcomers adding to the pilgrim flow from all over the world.
50 tonnes of cement donated to TTD
The first product of a modern cement produced by CK Birla Group, has been donated to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala hill shrine. Orient Cement vice-president Y Srinivasa Rao handed over 50 tonnes of cement bags to Tirumala Joint Executive Officer KS Sreenivasa Raju at Annamayya Bhavan on Thursday.
After examining the quality of new product, TTD engineers have decided to use the cement in the ongoing construction works at Tirumala. SE II Ramachandra Reddy and other engineering officials were present on the occasion.