TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to permit darshan recommendation letters from Telangana MLAs starting March 24. TTD Chairman BR Naidu, following Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s orders, will discuss the implementation of this decision during the TTD Trust Board meeting on March 24.
According to sources, Telangana MLAs’ recommendation letters will be accepted for VIP break darshan on Mondays and Tuesdays, while on Wednesdays and Thursdays, they will be valid for `300 Seeghra Darshan.
In a parallel move, the TTD has decided to reschedule Andhra Pradesh MLAs’ recommendation letters. Previously, AP MLAs were allowed VIP break darshan throughout the week except for weekends. However, to accommodate Telangana MLAs on Mondays and Tuesdays, AP MLAs’ letters will now be considered only on Saturdays and Sundays.
For decades, the TTD had restricted recommendation letters on weekends due to heavy pilgrim turnout, allowing only protocol VIPs. Saturdays, considered auspicious for Lord Venkateswara, witness the highest footfall, extending into Sundays. However, with the new arrangement, AP MLAs’ letters will now be accepted on weekends starting March 24, following the Trust Board’s approval.