Holidays bring a sea of pilgrims to Balaji
A record three-kilometre long queue has now formed before Lord Balaji at Tirumala, with the extended weekend bringing an estimated two lakh people a day to one of the most popular shrines in the country.
Pilgrims have been waiting for over 20 hours for a darshan.
Thanks to the holidays on Friday (Varalakshmi Vratham) and Monday (Independence Day), thousands of families poured into Tirumala from various parts of Andhra Pradesh and the rest of the country.
Rated as the second richest place of worship in the world, the temple of Lord Venkateswara attracts devotees from across the globe.
A TTD official said the rush picked up late Saturday. More than 50,000 devotees were coming up in a day by using the pedestrian routes of Alipiri and Srivarimettu. Though the APSRTC operated buses every five minutes, the corporation was not able to clear the crowds, the official said.
While the devotees in the general queue have been waiting for 20 hours, the special ticketed queue is taking nearly nine hours.
The nitya-annadanam (food) complex even had to use additional staff to serve the pilgrims. With accommodation getting scarce, people have started taking shelter under trees and on pavements in front of the main temple.
The chilly weather combined with occasional drizzles is adding to troubles. The TTD has officially cancelled VIP darshans till Wednesday.
“Our family of five arrived on Saturday night. We are finding it tough because there is no accommodation. And we have two children”, said S. Vasu of Chennai.
Mr Chokkalinga Modaliar from Salem said despite a special darshan ticket, his family had to spend eight hours in the queue.
"My grandchildren were constantly weeping and now they have high fever. We need medical attention", he said.
Post new comment