Can predictability of queue flow at Tirumala temple enable pilgrims to have proper darshan? “Yes,” said speakers at a special session on ‘Operations Research for Temple Management’ held at Sri Venkateswara University on Wednesday.
The session was part of the three-day international conference on ‘Operations Research for Big Data and Analytics’ jointly organised by the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Sri Venkateswara University (SVU), Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha (RSVP) and the Tirupati chapter of the Operations Research Society of India (ORSI). Addressing participants, TTD Executive Officer M.G. Gopal narrated the sequence of events before and after the implementation of online booking system for queue line recently.
The flow pattern had earlier been haphazard, initially involving the task of smoothing fluctuations. “The number of pilgrims entering queue lines was not similar even at a given hour on two successive Saturdays, which made us ponder over the need for scientific planning,” he said.
Based on an estimate indicating flow of 4,000 devotees an hour and with 16 to 17 hours a day at its disposal, the TTD management pegged the average number of devotees who could have comfortable darshan at 64,000. The TTD now issues 18,000 time slots a day for those planning darshan in a week, a fortnight and one day in advance. “In view of the low IT penetration levels, we also offer slots through our information centres and post offices,” Mr. Gopal he pointed out, expressing hope that the predictability factor could be infused even in the ‘Dharma Darshan’ queue line, which is meant for devotees who visit without advance planning.
ISRO scientist Murthy Remilla said his study on queue lines had moved to Stage II, i.e., from predictive to descriptive analysis.
Prof. K. Srinivasa Rao of Andhra University saw the need for a control system on generic stochastic flow of pilgrims. SVU Vice-Chancellor W. Rajendra, NAAC advisor N. Jayasankaran, ORSI president P. Rajasekhara Reddy and RSVP Registrar C. Umasankar spoke on the improved queue management systems at Tirumala.
