TTD Goes Digital: Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan Moves Online

The TTD Trust Board has announced that the Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan at the Tirupati temple will transition entirely to an online system from December 30 to January 8. This decision follows a tragic stampede last year during the festival. The new process aims to prioritize common devotees through digital bookings.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board has decided to shift the Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan to a fully online process, scrapping the offline token system. The change, effective from December 30 to January 8, aims to prevent incidents like last year's stampede that resulted in six fatalities and 40 injuries.

An official press release highlighted the temple's plan to accommodate eight lakh devotees over the 10-day festival, with 164 out of 182 darshan hours dedicated to common devotees. Special entry and Srivani darshan tickets will be available online alone, as offline tokens are discontinued.

From January 2 to 8, TTD will offer 15,000 Rs 300 special entry darshan tickets and 1,000 Srivani darshan tickets daily through digital platforms. In an effort to ensure a fair distribution, locals can access 5,000 tokens over January 6-8 via a first come, first served basis. Efforts are also underway to address a recent theft incident at the temple's Parakamani.

(With inputs from agencies.)