TTD to resume SSD tokens after Brahmotsavams

Tirumala: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) decided to resume the issue of 'time-slotted[ Sarva Darshan Tokens (SSD) after Brahmotsavams.

The issuing of tokens was suspended after a melee at a token counter in Tirupati on April 12, resulting in the pilgrims being forced to wait in queue complex for hours till their turn of darshan.

The trust board meeting chaired by its chairman Y V Subba Reddy here on Saturday decided to resume the issue of SSD tokens for darshan, relieving the ordeal of waiting for hours in the queue complex.

Daily 20,000 tokens will be issued which will increase by another five or 10,000 depending on the rush, he said, informing that Sarva Darshan (without tokens) will also continue.

The board also decided to change the timing of VIP break darshan, on pilot basis, to at 10 am instead of at 6 am.

Disclosing the trust board decisions, chairman Subba Reddy said the VIP break darshan timing change aims to relieve the inconvenience to the common pilgrims waiting since the previous night for darshan. "Now the Sarva Darshan is after VIP break darshan resulting in the common pilgrims wait 7-8 hours, even more than 10 hours which will be reduced with the break darshan time changed to 10 am after the common pilgrims darshan in the early morning," he explained.

Another important decision the board approved was to shift the accommodation (in Tirumala) allotment to Tirupati, Subba Reddy said adding that it will enable the pilgrims to avail private accommodation after the accommodation allotment gets exhausted in Tirumala.

The change of VIP break-darshan timing and Tirumala accommodation allotment in Tirupati will be on pilot basis and a final decision to continue them will be taken based on the success of the new systems.

A white paper on TTD properties will be placed on the website for the third consecutive year, covering a total of 960 properties, 7,123 acre land, worth around Rs 85,705 crore, Subba Reddy said informing no landed property of TTD was sold after 2014 . The meet also approved payment of Rs 25 crore for the purchase of 130 acre land from the government for employees future housing needs in addition to the acquiring of 300 acre at a cost of Rs 60 crores in Vadamalapeta mandal near Tirupati.

To enhance accommodation facility in Tirumala, the board approved construction of PAC (pilgrim amenities complex) 5 in Tirumala at a cost Rs 98 which could facilitate accommodation to about ten thousand common pilgrims.

It also decided to take up construction of a four-lane road at Rs.30 crore from Vakulamatha temple to Pudipatla cross road near Zoo Park for the convenience of pilgrims coming from Chennai and Bengalore.

The other decisions include sanction of Rs 7.20 crore to set up more transformers in Tirumala to meet the additional power load providing geysers in rest houses, Rs 6.37 crore for development of SGS Arts College, Rs 3 crore for development of TTD Kalyana Mandapam in Nellore and Rs 2.45 crore for refurbishing furniture in Nandakam rest house.

The board also discussed the arrangements for Brahmotsavams, keeping in view the pilgrim participation after a gap of two years due to Covid.