Tirumala: 6.47 lakh people visited Vaikuntha Dwar

Tirumala: Tirumala Tirumala Devasthanam (TTD) executive officer AV Dharma Reddy on Tuesday said 6.47 lakh devotees visited the Vaikuntha Dwara of Lord Venkateswara at the Tirumala temple from December 23 to January 1. Speaking to reporters, he said comfortable and hassle-free Srivari Darshan was provided to the devotees through tokens given for a specific time, which helped in avoiding long wait in the queue.

He also ensured that a larger than usual number of devotees received Anna Prasadam during the 10-day festival. According to the TTD EO, 19,255 VIP break protocol tickets were issued, but 18,578 attended and 677 (3.3%) remained absent. Similarly, 6,858 tickets were booked online by donors, of which 6,388 showed up, while 470 (7%) remained absent. Dharma Reddy said 20,000 tickets were issued to donors of Srivani Trust, of which 19,803 offered prayers to the Lord.

A total of 300 Special Entry Darshan (SED) tickets worth Rs 2.25 lakh were issued online. Of the total 1,97,254 who attended, 27,476 (12.2%) were absent. At least 4,23,500 Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) tokens were issued and 3,24,102 took darshan. Temple Hundi collection stood at Rs 40.20 crore. Anna Prasadam was provided to 17.81 lakh devotees, 35.60 lakh laddus were sold and 2.14 lakh devotees got their heads shaved.