Tirumala gets AI-powered command control centre
TIRUMALA: Cradled in the divine embrace of Tirumala’s seven sacred hills, where chants of Govinda echo through the ages and pilgrims ascend in faith, a quiet technological revolution is underway. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), custodian of Lord Venkateswara’s abode, has unveiled India’s, and possibly the world’s first fully AI-powered pilgrim management system, anchored by a state-of-the-art Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC).
Built at a cost of Rs 28 crore, the ICCC located inside the Vaikuntam Queue Complex represents a landmark fusion of devotion and digital innovation. Designed to manage the daily inflow of over 1 lakh devotees, the system ensures safety, serenity, and operational efficiency even amid shrinking manpower. TTD’s workforce has declined from 12,600 to 4,600 over the past three decades due to retirements and a hiring freeze.
“This initiative embodies our resolve to maintain devotion and discipline despite challenges,” said Additional Executive Officer Venkaiah Choudary. “With AI, machine learning, and digital twin technology, we’re ensuring that every pilgrim’s journey remains sacred, safe, and seamless.”
The idea took shape in October 2024 after HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh’s Silicon Valley visit, where he explored smart city models and digital twin systems, virtual replicas that enable real-time monitoring and predictive analytics. Inspired, he encouraged a collaboration between TTD and global technology philanthropists to blend ancient faith with modern intelligence.
By February 2025, a core vision team presented a detailed roadmap to TTD, identifying the need for an AI-driven control ecosystem capable of crowd prediction, anomaly detection, and drone surveillance. Following feasibility studies, the project received approval on August 28, 2025.
Funded entirely through donations from global philanthropists under the US-based Karya Foundation, the ICCC was conceptualised as an offering of ‘digital seva.’ Tech leaders including Anurag Jain, Srini Raju, BV Jagadeesh, A Praveen, JP Vejendra, and Dr Srinivas Mukkamal contributed over $3.5 million to bring the project to life.
Constructed in just 16 days, the centre operates on KloudSpot’s AI platform and NVIDIA’s high-performance computing infrastructure.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the ICCC, witnessing its live operations. The trial run exposed the importance of cybersecurity, prompting TTD to add a Rs 8 crore ‘Cybersecurity and Digital Threat Intelligence’ upgrade, making Tirumala the world’s first AI/ML hybrid spiritual hub.
The ICCC integrates over 3,000 CCTV cameras, processing 360,000 payloads per minute and generating over 518 million daily events. “It produces around 2.5 billion intelligent inferences in real time,” Choudary explained. The system provides live queue status, heat maps for crowd flow, and digital kiosks for navigation. AI even detects distress signals or emotional strain, ensuring pilgrims feel supported throughout their spiritual journey.
Security, too, has been redefined. Facial recognition systems distinguish ticket-holders from casual visitors, while anomaly detection flags unattended baggage or fire hazards. Drones stand ready for emergency deployment. Roadside cameras monitor helmet compliance and accident alerts, while vertical displays track VIP movements to ensure protocol efficiency.
Cyber vigilance is equally robust, staff validate safety alerts via smart devices, while AI tools scan social media to counter misinformation or phishing threats in real time.
A key donor described the project as “devotion digitized,” saying, “This isn’t just technology, it’s seva. We’re ensuring that faith and efficiency coexist in harmony.”
TTD Chairman BR Naidu called the initiative a “sacred trifecta—devotee comfort, staff empowerment, and administrative transparency.” He said the system ensures “darshan without distress,” turning Tirumala into a global benchmark for technology-enabled faith management.
For centuries, these hills have resonated with footsteps of surrender. Today, they hum with algorithms of care. As one devotee reflected after darshan, “Faith brought me here; technology guided me through.”