Tirupati: Tirumala witnessed a heavy rush of pilgrims on Sunday, as thousands arrived at the hill shrine following the release of Intermediate examination results in Andhra Pradesh. The timing of the weekend further added to the influx, resulting in longer waiting hours for darshan and considerable pressure on accommodation.
As of 7 pm, 54,356 devotees had darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Queue lines for Sarva Darshan without slotted tokens extended up to the Narayanagiri area, with the estimated waiting time ranging from 14 to 16 hours. All compartments remained filled, and devotees were seen navigating the tightly packed queues under early summer temperatures. On Saturday TTD reported that 72,923 pilgrims had darshan, 35,571 offered tonsure, and Hundi collections amounted to Rs 3.33 crore.
The growing pilgrim turnout led to an overstretching of facilities maintained by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The long wait in queues remained a major concern for devotees, particularly those without Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) tokens. Drinking water, Annaprasadam, medical aid, and shelter were arranged along the queue lines, but the sheer number of visitors posed challenges in ensuring smooth movement.
Accommodation in Tirumala was fully occupied, forcing many devotees without prior reservations to rest in queue complexes and open areas. TTD staff were deployed in additional numbers to regulate the crowd and assist pilgrims. Authorities urged visitors without SSD tokens to plan their trips on leaner days to avoid long delays and overcrowding.