TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will soon launch a dedicated digital navigation application to help devotees navigate Tirumala, with the first phase covering more than 100 key locations across the hill town.
TTD Additional Executive Officer Ch Venkaiah Choudary said the development and backend work for the application, tentatively called ‘Garuda Map’ or the ‘Venkatadri’ initiative, had been completed. The platform will provide audio-visual directions and turn-by-turn navigation to help pilgrims reach temples, facilities and other important locations without difficulty. The first phase has mapped 100 key locations, including the main Venkateswara Temple, Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasadam complex, free bus stops, drinking water outlets, ticket counters, laddu distribution stalls and local sub-temples.
TTD plans to add another 100 locations and provide real-time updates on events.
A key feature will guide devotees to the correct entry gates and help them identify where queue lines are forming.
Pilgrims arriving at the Vaikuntam Queue Complex or outer entry circles will be able to enter their entry-pass details to view the relevant routes.
The application will support typed searches and voice commands. Its artificial intelligence-powered voice assistant, ‘Govinda’, will provide step-by-step audio directions, distances, estimated walking times and suitable vehicle routes.
The system will also guide users to facilities such as the Central Reception Office (CRO), sub-enquiry desks, medical aid centres and allotted accommodation blocks.
The application will also feature a parking memory facility that allows devotees to save their vehicles’ exact locations. After completing darshan or other rituals, users can access directions to return to their vehicles from guest houses or other locations across Tirumala.
To ensure continued access in areas with poor network connectivity, the application will support offline navigation. TTD plans to make it available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in Telugu, English, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada.
For devotees who do not use smartphones, TTD plans to install 20 interactive display kiosks at major junctions across Tirumala.
