TTD keen on reintroducing Slotted Sarva Darshan token system at Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh

It was first introduced in 2016 to provide hassle-free darshan to common devotees and was withdrawn in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is keen on reintroducing the Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) system for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. The system was introduced in 2016 in order to provide hassle-free darshan to the devotees.

Under the system, devotees can book time slots of their choice and report directly to the Vaikuntam complex for darshan.

Though the system was being implemented well all these years, things went astray in the second week of April when the SSD counters in Tirupati witnessed an unprecedented rush of devotees following the relaxations in COVID-19 protocols, forcing the TTD to withdraw the system and allow pilgrims to Tirumala on a first-come-first-serve basis.

With there being no respite in the influx of crowds since then, the town wilted under the pressure of pilgrim crowds and the waiting time for darshan remained beyond 24 hours on most of the days.

It was only after the conclusion of the Tamil Peratasi month a fortnight ago that the turnout in the pilgrim crowds returned to moderate.

It is against this backdrop that the TTD is now toying with the idea of reintroducing the SSD system.

In an exclusive chat with The Hindu, TTD Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy said that there is no alternative to the SSD system. “A pilgrim is not only assured of darshan of the deity but is allowed into the temple on par with other paid darshan ticket-holders. The time spent in having darshan remains more or less the same among both categories of devotees. This apart, it also eliminates the role of touts and middlemen,” Mr. Dharma Reddy said.