TIRUMALA: Following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court on extension to keep open the Vaikunta Dwaram at Lord Venkateswara temple here for a period of 10 days, the TTD Trust Board has decided to convene an emergency meeting on January 5. While it is a customary practice being followed for over a century to keep open the Vaikunta Dwaram at the Tirumala temple for a period of 48 hours on the auspicious Vaikunta Ekadasi and Vaikunta Dwadasi days every year, a PIL was filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking the court to direct the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to keep open the Vaikunta Dwaram for a period of 10 days to facilitate more number of devotees to pass through the pathway believed to rid devotees from the cycle of rebirth.
After the PIL came before it on Friday, the HC directed the TTD to declare the stand of the Agama advisory committee on the option to keep open the Vaikunta Dwaram for a period of 10 days, including Vaikunta Ekadasi and Dwadasi days.
The HC asked the TTD to present its stand on Monday which coincides with the Vaikunta Ekadasi day.
Following the HC directive, the TTD board has decided to convene an emergency trust board meeting on January 5 to arrive at a decision after seeking the opinion of the Agama advisory committee on the issue.
Darshan will be provided to maximum no. of common devotees: TTD EOTirupati: TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal has said that they will ensure Vaikunta Dwara darshan to maximum number of common devotees. Around 2 lakh devotees are expected to visit Tirumala on the two auspicious days, he added.
Speaking to reporters, along with TTD AEO AV Dharma Reddy, the EO said elaborate arrangements were made to ensure hassle-free darshan for devotees on Vaikunta Ekadasi and Dwadasi on January 6 and 7. He said darshan would commence at the temple at 2 am on January 6 and for three hours between 2 am and 5 am, protocol VIPs will be allowed for darshan. At 5 am, common devotees will be allowed for darshan. At 10 am, Sri Venkateswara Aalayala Nirmanam Trust (SRIVANI) trust donors will be allowed for darshan. Around 2,500 tickets have been issued to the devotees for darshan under Srivani trust scheme, the EO explained.
He made it clear that even the VIPs will not be allowed into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple on Vaikunta Ekadasi day. VIPs will have only laghu darshan, while SRIVANI trust donors, will have maha laghu darshan which is similar to the darshan the common devotees get on Vaikunta Ekadasi day.