The temple town on Sunday reeled under the impact of swarming crowds, ahead of the annual Ratha Saptami festival.
The crowd which started swelling since in the morning was at its peak by the evening. Tens of thousands of devotees reached the town on foot, with the ghat road buzzing with the heavy vehicular traffic.
Darshan lines stretched out of the massive Vaikuntam Complex as the waiting time went beyond twenty hours. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao huddled into a meeting with the heads of various departments and took stock of the situation.
ADVERTISEMENT
On the other hand, the main temple complex was bedecked for the grand carnival. It was tastefully decorated with various flowers and colourful illuminations befitting the occasion. Special arrangements are in place for the grand conduct of the Chakrasnanam on Monday afternoon. Various mutts and other charitable institutions in the town have also geared up for the mega festival and the day-long Annadanam at their respective premises.