Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam draws 7.83 lakh devotees in Tirumala: Temple body

Tirupati, Jan 9 (PTI) Nearly eight lakh devotees visited the Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala during the 10-day Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam, offering over Rs 41 crore, the TTD said on Friday.

Held between December 30 and January 8, the annual event attracted around one lakh more devotees than the previous record of nearly seven lakh visitors.

“7.83 lakh devotees had Srivari darshan during the 10 days, compared to the earlier record of 6.83 lakh. Hundi income during these ten days amounted to Rs 41.14 crore,” a press release said.

As many as 44 lakh laddus were sold during the period, about 10 lakh more than in 2025. Of the 182 darshan hours available, 164 hours were allotted to common devotees, it added.

The temple body further said around 33 lakh devotees were served annaprasadam (free meals), and hot badam (almond) milk was distributed to pilgrims visiting Tirumala.

Artificial intelligence-assisted real-time crowd monitoring enabled faster darshan through the Integrated Command Control Centre, including for devotees without tokens.

Security arrangements included the deployment of 2,400 police personnel, 1,150 vigilance staff and additional forces during the Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam, it said.

The temple was decorated with 50 tonnes of traditional flowers, 10 tonnes of fruits and four tonnes of cut flowers, while more than two lakh devotees offered their hair to the deity through tonsuring.

TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal said that not only Tirumala but also TTD-affiliated temples across the country witnessed a significant increase in devotee footfall during the period. PTI STH SSK