With the Central Government permitting religious shrines and institutions across India to reopen from 8 June (except those in containment areas), the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is all set to allow darshan of Lord Venkateswara for devotees after 10 June or 11 June. However, before this, the TTD is planning to conduct trial runs with its employees and Trust Board members maintaining physical distancing. The Devasthanams has also obtained the Andhra Pradesh State Government’s permission for the same.
The trial runs will be conducted from 8 June to 10 June or 11 June in order to assess how quickly darshan can be provided to the devotees at Tirumala temple. The TTD queues will be modified accordingly and the number of devotees will also be limited. The TTD is currently installing automatic sanitisers. To facilitate physical distancing, the authorities are planning to arrange for queues in a zigzag pattern.
Informing that the darshan (Sarva darshan) will be allowed only for those who book slots online, TTD Trust Board Chairman YV Subba Reddy said that people from rural areas and those who are unable to book online can get their tickets at an online registration centre in Alipiri.
Furthermore, devotees and staff will be screened on entry at the Alipiri check-post every day. For those who trek to the holy shrine, tests will be conducted at the entrance, and they can book slots either at Alipiri or after reaching Tirumala. Those who are ill won’t be allowed to proceed.
Stating that devotees should adhere to strict physical distancing norms during darshan, the TTD Trust Board Chairman said that all the visitors should wear masks and sanitise for every 30 minutes. The devotees should avoid touching the ropes and rods as much as possible, and maintain a gap of 5-6 feet between each other. Mr Subba Reddy further urged the people from containment zones not to visit Tirumala for darshan.
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