Gold coating of Ananda Nilayam to begin in February

The gold coating of Ananda Nilayam, the Tirumala Srivari temple, would commence in February.

The project is planned to be completed in six months’ time, during which darshans would be allowed as usual. Gold malam work at the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Venkateshwara was last carried out in 1957-58.

“Apart from the donor contributions, gold offered by common pilgrims to TTD will also be utilised in the Gold malam works of Vimana Gopuram making the devotees also a part in the prestigious work. The gold plating would follow the procedures adopted by TTD over 60 years back for the earlier gold coating,” an official said after a meeting of the TTD trust board on Wednesday.

The setting up of Balalayam for the purpose would begin on February 23.

The board also decided to shift the VIP break darshan timings at the temple from 5.30 am to 7.30-8 in the mornings, with effect from Thursday. Officials said the new timings would be tested on a trial basis for a month.

Vaikuntha Ekadasi

Vaikuntha Ekadasi Dwara Darshanam will open for devotees for 10 days from January 2 to 11.

TTD will issue 25,000 Rs 300 tickets online for each day during the 10 days and 50,000 sarva darshan tokens every day during the Darshanam. In total 2.5 lakh of SED tickets and five lakh of SSD tokens will be issued to devotees.

The offline SSD tokens will be issued at the counters in Tirupati from January 1 onwards, round the clock till the five lakhs quota exhausts. Devotees without tokens can go to Tirumala but will not be allowed for darshan.

The TTD board has also approved the designs for the Spiritual City planned at Alipiri and tenders for the first phase of the project would be called soon.

Other decisions taken by the trustees are Rs 9.05 crore tender approval for building a protective retainer wall along the Tirupati-Tirumala second ghat road.