Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu watches an AI-generated video on the wedding festivities of Lord Venkateswara at the SV Museum in Tirumala on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) launched a slew of technology-driven initiatives at Tirumala aimed at enhancing pilgrim safety, convenience and the overall spiritual experience.
Among the projects were the Tirumala Healing and Devotion Experience Centre, the ‘Durlabha Darshan’ virtual reality experience, the renovated multi-crore Sri Venkateswara Museum, the ‘Nandakam’ defect-management app, a group insurance scheme for pilgrims and the flagging off of 32 electric buses aimed at cutting off pollution atop the temple town.
Set up in the 17th compartment of Vaikuntam Queue Complex-I, the Healing and Devotion Experience Centre is designed to make the waiting period spiritually enriching. It uses artificial intelligence, virtual reality and interactive displays to showcase Tirumala’s history and spiritual significance, besides offering guided meditation sessions.
The sessions will be streamed live to pilgrims waiting at Vaikuntam Queue Complexes-I and II. The facility will also be used for training the TTD employees.
‘Durlabha Darshan’
The ‘Durlabha Darshan’ experience offers a 13-minute, 3D, 360-degree virtual tour through advanced VR headsets, offering pilgrims an immersive glimpse of the grandeur of Lord Venkateswara and rare rituals including Suprabhatham, Thomala Seva, Sahasranamarchana and Abhishekam.
The renovated Sri Venkateswara Museum, originally opened in 1998, now has four floors and 14 galleries spreading over nearly 1 lakh sft, displaying more than 8,000 rare artefacts employing immersive technology, holographic displays and interactive digital archives.
Group insurance scheme
The Chief Minister launched a group insurance scheme aimed at providing free life cover of ₹2 lakh for up to four days for the pilgrims and Srivari Seva volunteers, with the premium borne by the TTD.
The Nandakam app, covering 7,043 accommodation rooms, enables real-time resolution of electrical, plumbing, housekeeping and carpentry complaints, with automatic escalation of unresolved issues.
Mr. Naidu flagged off 32 electric buses titled ‘Srivari Dharmarathas’. Reliance Industries Limited provided 25 buses while Bharat Biotech Foundation donated seven. The additions will raise the number of free buses from 18 to 50 and electric buses from 14 to 44.
Daily trips will increase from 300 to 810 across three routes, with buses available every three minutes on major routes.
Published – September 17, 2026 11:45 am IST
