A massive year-end rush of pilgrims led to chaotic scenes and severe overcrowding at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) ticket counters in Alipiri, Tirupati, on Thursday. The situation escalated as thousands of devotees vied for darshan tokens, resulting in long waiting times and significant distress among visitors.
Serpentine Queues and Exhausted Tokens
According to TTD officials, the waiting period for the general sarva darshan stretched to an astonishing 24 hours. The queue lines, described as serpentine, extended far beyond the iconic Sila Thoranam at Tirumala by Thursday morning. The chaos intensified after the 15,000 sarva darshan tokens allocated for the day were exhausted within the first few hours.
Scramble Leads to Dangerous Crowding
With the regular tokens gone, a large and anxious crowd surged towards the divya darshan ticket counter. This sudden movement created a perilous situation. Reports indicate that devotees, in their desperation, tried to force their way into the queues. Some individuals attempted to crawl under or jump over the fenced queue lines, leading to severe jostling.
The most vulnerable—women, children, and the elderly—found themselves trapped in the suffocating crowd, bearing the brunt of the discomfort and panic. The situation teetered on the edge of becoming uncontrollable.
Swift Intervention Restores Order
Just as the chaos peaked, additional forces from the local police and the TTD vigilance and security department arrived at the spot. Their prompt intervention was crucial in managing the crowd and bringing the volatile situation under control. Authorities worked to streamline the movement and ensure the safety of the pilgrims.
TTD sources have indicated that this heavy pilgrim rush is likely to persist for the next two weeks. This surge is attributed to the confluence of the 10-day Vaikunta Ekadasi festival and the year-end holiday vacations, which traditionally draw lakhs of devotees to the holy shrine.
