Tirumala all set for Vaikunta Ekadasi with focus on common devotees

The famed hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala has been meticulously spruced up for Vaikunta Ekadasi, the most sacred festival observed on December 30 across Sri Vaishnavite shrines.

In a significant initiative aimed at prioritising the common pilgrim, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has suspended all categories of darshan tickets during the initial phase of the festival and decided to permit only Sarva Darshan or Dharma Darshan for the first three days of the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, beginning on Ekadasi day.

Elaborate arrangements have been put in place to facilitate darshan for about 1.76 lakh devotees who have already obtained online Sarva Darshan tokens for the first three days. To ensure smooth and uninterrupted movement of pilgrims, nearly 20 hours of darshan have been scheduled on the first day of the Ekadasi festival.

Devotees holding Srivani tickets and Special Entry Darshan tokens will be permitted to have darshan from January 2 onwards.

To streamline crowd management and ease access to the Vaikuntam Queue Complex, the temple administration has earmarked three separate entry routes based on darshan slots. Pilgrims scheduled for morning darshan will be allowed entry through the Krishna Teja Guest House route, those with afternoon slots through the ATGH area, and night-slot devotees through the Silathoranam circle.

Adding to the festive grandeur, the inner precincts of the main temple complex and its surroundings have been exquisitely decorated with several tonnes of flowers in varied hues, presenting a resplendent sight in keeping with the spiritual significance of the festival.