TIRUMALA: The TTD has made all arrangements for the auspicious Vaikunta Ekadasi on Thursday. With Covid-19 restrictions in force, at least 50,000 devotees are expected to have Uttara Dwara Darshanam a day during the 10-day fete.
The first two days, Vaikunta Ekadasi and Dwadasi, however, are expected to draw more devotees, particularly VIPs. For the second consecutive year, the TTD is keeping Uttara Dwaram open for 10 days to enable devotees to have a darshan of the Lord.
Uttara Dwara Darshanam will commence at 1:45 am on Thursday after the morning rituals. TTD Executive Officer Dr. KS Jawahar Reddy on Wednesday evening inspected arrangements for the 10-day fete. “All categories of devotees, including VIPs, Rs 300 darshan ticket holders and Sarva Darshan token holders, are given time slots to avoid unnecessary waiting in queue lines. Devotees should strictly adhere to Covid norms during Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam,’’ he said, adding that areas where the pilgrim influx is more -- Accommodation, Annaprasadam, Kalyanakatta, Laddu counters — have been thoroughly sanitised.
A host of VIPs, including ministers, MPs and MLAs from AP, Telangana and Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country are expected to have darshan during the first two days itself. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana arrived in Tirumala on Wednesday evening for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam. He was accompanied by AP High Court Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, Justice Lalitha Kumari and Justice Satyanarayana Murthy. The CJI was given a warm welcome by TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy, EO Jawahar Reddy, Additional EO AV Dharma Reddy and CVSO Gopinath Jatti.
The TTD has urged pilgrims to opt for accommodation in Tirupati as 1,300 rooms out of the total 7,500 available in Tirumala are under renovation. The procession of the Golden Chariot on Vaikunta Ekadasi day in the Four Mada Streets will be telecast live for the sake of devotees. On Vaikunta Dwadasi day, Chakra Snanam will be performed in Swami Pushkarini between 5 and 6 am in Ekantham.
A buffer stock of six lakh laddus will be maintained every day for running 41 prasadam counters as against 31 in normal times. The TTD has made it mandatory for devotees to have two-dose Covid vaccination certificate or the RT-PCR test negative report taken 48 hours before the pilgrimage.
Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice offers prayers at temple
TIRUPATI: Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court Justice Prasanth Kumar Mishra and family offered prayers at the Srivari temple Wednesday morning. He was received at the Mahadwaram by TTD additional EO AV Dharma Reddy.
After Srivari darshan, the Chief Justice and entourage were rendered Veda Ashirvachanam by TTD Vedic pundits. Later, the additional EO presented Srivari Thirtha prasadam, a portrait, TTD agarbatti and 2022 diary and calendars to him.