mangalore today

No more VIP categories at Lord Balaji temple in Tirupathi


Mangalore Today News Network

Tirupati, Jul 17, 2019:  Planning a Tirupati visit? Big disappointment for VIPs, there will be no more VIP category for darshan! However, the latest development may come as a big disappointment for VIPs! Wondering what the details are and how your plans may be impacted? The existing three VIP categories of darshan of Lord Sri Venkateswara will be scraped off by the TDD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams). The TDD has planned to announce an alternative plan on Wednesday for VIP darshan of the presiding deity of the world’s richest temple. There is an existing system at the Tirupati temple according to which VIPs can skip through the queues formed by ordinary devotees by paying a fee and providing recommendation letter and this system of Tirupati temple is called "VIP break darshanas to Yahoo."

 

tirupathi17jul.


After the Andhra Pradesh high court’s demand for an explanation from the TTD on the existing VIP worship system and its three categories, the TTD came up with this move to make an alteration in the existing system. The current VIP system has three levels which are L1 for VVIPs, L2 for T.T.D Employees & Family members and Next level of officials and L3 for other recommendations not related to L1 and L2 category.

The court sought an explanation after a PIL was filed in relation to the three categories of VIP system which were unleashed in list 1, list 2 and general list. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will submit its report with an explanation to the court on Thursday. Currently, in L1 darshan, devotees are allowed ‘aarti and ‘thirtham’, whereas the l2 and general categories are not allowed/offered these practice inside the temple. The TTD modified plan for VIP darshan might consider making more room for the common pilgrims who wait for hours and get very less tie for darshan.

According to a report published in TOI, the TTD chairperson Y V Subba Reddy said, "Directions are given to the officials for exploring the possible and suitable alternative."


"Officials have been directed to explore a suitable alternative", said TTD chairman Y V Subba Reddy. Notably, After a satisfactory win over TDP(Telugu Desam Party) in Andhra, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on June 22, 2019, appointed YV Subba Reddy as the new chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Trust board.

The TTD speaking on the matter said that "An announcement related to the new mechanism will be made within a day or two." We have to communicate the same plan to the court on Thursday and if the court agrees we will inform about the new plan to the people, said the executive chairman Anil Kumar Singhal.

In a nutshell, for ordinary pilgrims, the latest decision by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam may bring relief from long, winding queues at the Lord Balaji temple, subject to how effectively the new mechanism is rolled out by the concerned officials.