Heavy crowds throng Tirumala temple

It may take more than 36 hours for those without any kind of ticket to get their turn for darshan

Pilgrims standing in a long line that extended up to the Silathoranam Road in Tirumala on Thursday.

The hill temple of Lord Venkateswara here on Thursday witnessed massive spurt in pilgrim crowd.

The darshan lines, which spilled out of the monolithic Vaikuntam Complex, spiralled around the Narayanagiri Gardens and stretched up to a couple of kilometres on the Silathoranam Road.

Officials, who attributed the surge in crowds to conclusion of the Brahmotsavams, suspension of paid darshan, and the ensuing ‘Peratasi Saturday’, said it might take more than 36 hours for those without any kind of ticket to get their turn for darshan.

TTD Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy ordered uninterrupted supply of free food packets and drinking water.