TTD awaits government’s nod to allow darshan

TTD awaits government’s nod to allow darshan

Safety protocol has been readied

15/05/2020, S. VIJAY KUMAR,CHENNAI

The TTD has chalked out a safety protocol for devotees.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is waiting for a nod from the Andhra Pradesh government to allow darshan for devotees at Tirumala, TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy said on Thursday.

Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Reddy said the TTD had written to the State government that darshan could be allowed for about 10,000 devotees a day to start with, considering physical distancing in accommodation, queue, and darshan. Though an average of 85,000 to 1 lakh devotes visited Tirumala on a daily basis from across the country, the COVID-19 safety protocols would not permit such huge gatherings.

The TTD management, in consultation with health and other officials, has chalked out a safety protocol for staff, security personnel and devotees. The plan is to issue a limited number of darshan tickets online and provide detailed instructions to devotees on the rules to follow. Sufficient numbers of masks, hand sanitisers and thermal scanners would be made available at the Alipiri security check point and at Tirumala for devotees. A quarantine block has been established to accommodate staff or devotees with symptoms of COVID-19.

“Though the temple is closed for devotees, routine rituals are being conducted. We have enough funds to pay salaries and run hospitals and educational institutions owned by the TTD,” he said.