TIRUMALA: Temples under the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) must be developed into state-of-the-art spiritual centres, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said on Saturday.
He conducted a review at the Artificial Intelligence-based Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in the Vaikuntam Queue Complex and stressed the need to strengthen systems to quickly resolve issues faced by devotees.
Naidu said facilities from entry into queue lines till darshan of Srivaru and return journey should be monitored through the ICCC. He underlined the need to ensure a pollution-free Tirumala and called for an action plan, including construction of more temples to promote devotion.
The Chief Minister noted that Annadanam (free food) and Pranadanam (medical aid) schemes are running well, and asked officials to expand medical services further. He also directed skill-based training for Srivari Seva volunteers and said TTD policies should serve as models for temples across the country. He also mandated ICCCs for queue management.
Earlier, officials gave a presentation on ICCC. Donor Sri Jayaprasad Vejendla, based in the USA, explained the services supported by Karya Foundation and NRI donors. TTD EO Muddada Ravichandra and other officials were present.
Integrated vision for Tirumala
The ICCC has been set up as a unified model of spiritual excellence, service, technology and sustainability. Tirumala, anchored by the Sri Venkateswara Temple, is seen as a complex spiritual ecosystem combining devotion with modern management.
The vision aims to ensure uniform quality, hygiene and cost-effective operations across temples. Under the Pranadanam initiative, hospitals are integrated to ensure no devotee is denied treatment. TTD’s network of 63 temples is being linked through real-time monitoring, with plans to expand to other regions and global Hindu communities.
Darshan management remains central, with daily footfall around 73,000 this financial year. Efforts are on to improve capacity without affecting devotee comfort through better planning and predictive systems. The AI-based ‘Govinda’ system helps forecast crowd flow and waiting time. Officials said wait time during Vaikunta Ekadashi was reduced from 11 hours to 8 hours.
Environmental measures include clean air and noise control, electric mobility and renewable energy use, aiming for a pollution-free Tirumala.
Smart entry systems, baggage scanning and paperless administration are also being introduced.