Srivani Darshan tickets to go online completely from Jan 9

Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to introduce changes in the issue of Srivani darshan tickets for the convenience of devotees and to meet administrative needs. As part of this decision, Srivani darshan tickets will be issued through an online system from January 9 on a trial basis for one month

According to TTD officials, the offline Srivani darshan ticket counters in Tirumala will be discontinued. Instead, the 800 tickets that were earlier issued daily through offline counters will now be made available through online current booking. These tickets will be released every day at 9 am and will remain available online till 2 pm. Devotees who book the tickets must report for darshan on the same day at 4 pm.

Only one family consisting of up to four members (1+3) is allowed per booking. To prevent misuse, Aadhaar verification and a valid mobile number are mandatory during booking. Tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. With this move, TTD aims to eliminate long waiting hours in queue lines for offline tickets in Tirumala.

The new online current booking system will be implemented on a trial basis for one month. In addition, TTD is already issuing 500 Srivani darshan tickets per day through online advance booking. This system will be reviewed after three months and a final decision will be taken.

Meanwhile, the existing offline booking of 200 Srivani darshan tickets per day at Tirupati Airport will continue without any change. TTD has appealed to devotees to take note of these changes and plan their darshan schedules accordingly, keeping in mind the new ticketing system introduced in the interest of all devotees.

Till now, devotees were forced to wait daily at the offline ticket issuing centre opposite Annamayya Bhavan in Tirumala from the previous evening to get tickets that were issued at 6 am the next day. During this long wait, no accommodation was provided, causing severe hardship to devotees. Many devotees repeatedly staged protests, questioning the existing system.

To find an alternative and more convenient system, TTD had earlier appointed a study committee. Based on the committee’s observations and recommendations, a decision has now been taken to abolish the offline ticket issuing system in Tirumala. Though there was an initial proposal to shift the 200 offline Srivani darshan tickets issued at Tirupati Airport also to the online system, TTD has finally decided to continue the airport offline booking.

Under the new arrangement, 800 Srivani darshan tickets will be issued online every day from 9 am for darshan at 4 pm on the same day.

This will mainly benefit devotees staying in Tirupati and nearby areas, as they can book tickets online and reach Tirumala for evening darshan. However, devotees who fail to secure tickets online may have to return disappointed.