Tens of thousands of devotees throng Tirumala temple for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan

Devotees flock to Lord Venkateswara temple for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan, with early darshan and VIP visits.

Tens of thousands of devotees thronged the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan on the auspicious Mukkoti Ekadasi on Friday as the town reverberated with ‘Govinda Namam’.

After the mandatory rituals were performed to the presiding deity, the officials allowed darshan half an hour earlier than the schedule, much to the delight of the devotees.

Following instructions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) facilitated Vaikunta Dwara Darshan for the family members of the devotees injured in the stampede. The devotees thanked the Chief Minister and the TTD for the gesture.

The temple complex was tastefully decorated with flowers, befitting the occasion. 

Later in the day, the idols of Lord Malayappa, along with his two consorts, were taken out on a golden chariot along the mada streets surrounding the hill shrine. 

Meanwhile, a galaxy of VIPs reached Tirumala temple for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan. Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, yoga guru Ramdev Baba, many Ministers and former Ministers from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, MPs, MLCs, MLAs and top judicial officers and actors had darshan at the Tirumala temple.

The Vaikunta Dwara Darshan will continue until January 19.