Pradeep Vennelakanti Tirupati

Amidan unprecedented surge in pilgrim footfall during the ongoing summer vacation season, Tirumala witnessed severe crowding on Saturday with devotees enduring long hours of wait for darshan of Lord Venkateswara.

The queue lines at the hill shrine extended up to Silathoranam holding area on the outer ring road, with pilgrims reportedly waiting nearly 24 hours for darshan. Thousands of devotees from different parts of the country continued to pour into the temple town, leading to heavy congestion across queue complexes, holding points and accommodation centres.

The massive influx over the last two days placed considerable strain on civic amenities and crowd management systems in Tirumala. With rooms and cottages running full, several pilgrims were seen resting in open spaces, roadside areas and waiting halls. Elderly devotees and children faced particular difficulty as overcrowded queue routes and humid weather conditions added to their discomfort.

Temple authorities said Friday recorded one of the highest pilgrim turnouts in the history of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, with 87,689 devotees having darshan of Lord Venkateswara — the highest-ever footfall registered on a Friday. Further, around 5,850 common pilgrims were facilitated for darshan during the sacred Abhisheka Seva ritual of the presiding deity with which the dream of once in a lifetime ambition of thousands of common devotees fulfilled.

Despite the extraordinary rush, officials stated that all departments were functioning in coordination to minimise inconvenience to devotees. Special teams of Srivari Sevaks and vigilance personnel were deployed at strategic points to regulate queues, distribute drinking water and annaprasadam, and assist pilgrims throughout the waiting lines. Authorities said elaborate arrangements were being made under the directions of higher officials to ensure smooth darshan and uninterrupted essential services during the peak vacation period.

A brief spell of rain during the morning caused temporary inconvenience to devotees waiting in open areas. However, the weather later turned comparatively pleasant, bringing relief from the intense summer heat experienced in Tirumala over the past few days.