Tirupati: The hill town of Tirumala has been overwhelmed by a steady influx of pilgrims, driven by the summer-end vacation rush that began last Thursday.On Tuesday, thousands of devotees without tokens faced waits of nearly 18 hours in serpentine queues for darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Despite extensive preparations by TTD, the sheer volume of devotees has stretched facilities beyond capacity. From Thursday to Monday alone, a record 4,12,244 pilgrims had darshan, with an excess of around 10,000 persons accommodated daily due to enhanced queue management by the vigilance and temple departments. TTD served over 12 lakh meals and 5 lakh beverages during the five-day span. Additionally, 1.86 lakh devotees performed tonsure and 13,000 received medical care. On Monday, 83,542 pilgrims had darshan. By 6pm Tuesday, over 63,000 had completed prayers, with thousands more waiting in lines extending beyond the Vaikuntam complex into Narayanagiri gardens. Under instructions from TTD executive officer Syamala Rao and additional EO Venkaiah Chowdary, officers from various departments are working round-the-clock to enable a hassle-free pilgrim experience. A workforce of 2,150 health staff, including sanitary workers and supervisors, is working in three shifts to maintain cleanliness and ensure the supply of drinking water. Barricaded outer queues and hundreds of Srivari Seva volunteers are ensuring continuous supply of food, water and ORS packets. Medical teams are also stationed with buggies to attend to health issues. Despite round-the-clock monitoring by senior officials, the demand for accommodation far exceeds availability, forcing many to rest on footpaths. TTD has urged devotees to be prepared for long waits due to the continuing surge. The long queues are especially taxing for the elderly and children.
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