TTD to issue free darshan tokens in the online mode

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has decided to issue free darshan tokens too in the online mode, from Saturday.

Officials said that pilgrims coming to Tirumala, with free or special darshan tickets, should produce their two-dose vaccine certificate or a negative Covid-19 test report.

The decision to go online was taken following the huge public crowding at the free token centres in Tirupati, regardless of the Covid-19 rules. These counters would be closed from Sunday.

After a break of about five months, the TTD had earlier this month resumed the issuance of the Sarvadarshanam ticket. The quota was initially limited to 2000 tokens per day and was meant only for the residents of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh, where the famed Hindu shrine is located.

However, officials told DH that pilgrims from other places too like Tamil Nadu were coming in large numbers for the tokens, leading to concerns about the Covid-19 spread again in the temple town.

The TTD has now decided to hike the daily free token quota to 8000 tokens from 26 September and is made available online for everyone.

On Wednesday, TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy stated that these 8000 Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) tokens will be released online for the September 26 to October 31 period, on September 25 at 9 am.

The Rs 300 Special Entry Darshan tickets quota, which was last month increased to 8000 daily, will be released at 9 am on September 24.

“We will stop the issuance of off-line SSD tokens in Tirupati from September 26. TTD took the decision as the overcrowding at the token centres earlier had allegedly become a source of Covid-19 spread during the second wave,” Reddy said.

Reddy appealed to the devotees coming with online special entry tickets or SSD tokens to produce either the two-dose vaccination certificate or a Covid-19 negative test report taken three days prior to their allotted darshan time.

Check out the latest DH videos here: