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A high-level review to be held in Tirumala ahead of Vaikuntha Ekadashi, as TTD Governing Council to meet today to deliberate on 60 agenda items. Vaikuntha Dwara Darshans are scheduled from Dec 30 to Jan 8. Officials reviewed security arrangements and discussed proposals, including a cottage donor policy and the Divya Vrikshala project spread across […]
The auspicious month of Dhanurmasam begins tomorrow and is considered sacred for worship of Lord Vishnu. Devotees perform puja in the morning and evening during this period. At Tirumala, Tiruppavai is sung instead of Suprabhatam. Bathing, charity, fasting, and homams hold significance. Worshipping Lord Vishnu on Fridays is believed to bring divine blessings.
The heavy rush of Ayyappa devotees continues at Sabarimala, with around 80,000 pilgrims visiting the shrine daily during the ongoing season. So far, more than 24 lakh devotees have had darshan. In view of the huge turnout, temple authorities have strengthened security and crowd management measures, while monitoring the situation to ensure safe pilgrimage.
As part of the auspicious Dhanurmasam celebrations, TTD will organise Thiruppavai Pravachanas at 233 centres across the country from December 16 to January 14. The inaugural Tiruppavai Pravachana will be held tomorrow at Annamacharya Kalamandiram in Tirupati. The programme is being conducted under the auspices of the TTD Alwar Divya Prabandha Project.
At Tirumala temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, devotees are waiting in 25 compartments for darshan today. Sarvadarshan without tokens currently takes around 7 hours. On Friday, 67,202 devotees had darshan of Lord Venkateswara, and 25,864 offered tonsuring. The TTD reported a Hundi collection of ₹4.04 crore on the same day, December 12.
At Tirumala Temple in AP, devotees are queuing in 14 compartments for darshan today, with Sarvadarshan without tokens currently taking about 9 hours. On Dec 8, 71,142 devotees had the darshan of Lord Venkateswara, while 26,619 offered tonsuring. The TTD reported a Hundi collection of ₹4.13 crore, reflecting the temple’s religious significance.
After 17 years, Kanchipuram’s Ekambaranathar Temple, dedicated to the earth element, celebrates its Maha Kumbhabhishekam following ₹29 crore restoration. Sacred water from rivers was consecrated in kalasams, with homams, pujas, and Vedic rituals performed. The final anointment poured sanctified water over spires and sanctum, restoring temple’s divine sanctity.
At Tirumala temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, devotees are waiting in 15 compartments for darshan today. Sarvadarshan without tokens currently takes around 11 hours. On Friday, 67,336 devotees had darshan of Lord Venkateswara, and 20,210 offered tonsuring. The TTD reported a Hundi collection of ₹3.68 crore on the same day, December 5.
A drone camera caused a stir on Tirumala hills after a foreign devotee flew it near Shila Toranam. Locals alerted police, prompting TTD officials to immediately ban drone usage citing security concerns. The incident has once again exposed lapses in Tirumala’s security arrangements, leading authorities to tighten monitoring in the temple surroundings.
At Tirumala temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, devotees are waiting in 10 compartments for darshan today. Sarvadarshan without tokens currently takes around 7 hours. On Wednesday, 63,887 devotees had darshan of Lord Venkateswara, and 22,561 offered tonsuring. The TTD reported a Hundi collection of ₹3.79 crore on the same day, December 3.
TTD has cancelled the Garuda Seva at Tirumala Temple scheduled for today to facilitate the celebration of ‘Deepotsavam’ on Margashira Pournami. Devotees can participate in evening prayers and offerings to the Lord as part of the festival. The decision was taken to ensure convenience for devotees while marking this auspicious occasion at the temple.
Gold and silver prices rose sharply today in the Hyderabad bullion market. The price of 10 grams of 24-carat gold increased by ₹710 to ₹1,30,580, while 22-carat gold rose by ₹650 to ₹1,19,700. Silver also surged, with a kilogram costing ₹5,000 more at ₹2,01,000. Prices remain similar across both Telugu states.
TTD will release today at 2 pm the list of devotees selected through the e-DIP for the first three days of Vaikuntha Dwara Darshans at Tirumala Temple, starting December 30. Online registrations ran from November 27 to December 1, with 24,05,237 devotees applying via 9,55,703 submissions, TTD officials said.
The famed Sabarimala Temple, once crowded with devotees, now appears unusually empty. Officials say about 15% of those who booked through the virtual queue haven’t shown up. Despite a recent ruling that could expand spot-booking, the early-morning crowd has been thin since 5 am, pointing to declining footfall even during the pilgrimage season.
Srisailam Devasthanam’s EO Srinivasa Rao said that from today devotees holding ₹500 Sparsha Darshan or ₹300 special darshan tickets will receive free laddus, available via counters 9 and 10. Meanwhile, a new Kailasa Kankanam counter at the renovated Sri Gokulam and Rathashala will be inaugurated to further enhance pilgrim amenities.