The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is finding itself in a disturbed state of late, with complaints flooding in against the delay in the commencement of the darshan of the presiding deity.
The intriguing factor is that even though the TTD has introduced several changes in the darsan pattern to suit the needs of pilgrims, complaints related to the inordinate delay in the commencement of the darsan, particularly on Fridays, has nevertheless pushed the management to an awkward corner.
With an intention to provide more darsan hours for common devotees, the management has not only cancelled the sale of pre-dawn darsan tickets during weekends, but also annulled the VIP break darsan in the evenings, except on Thursdays.
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But, little did the management know that the exception granted on Thursdays would soon turn into a problem with the lapse in the time. At present, the darsan on Fridays commences between 10.00 am and 10.30 am, against the scheduled expectations of early hours (as on the normal days) with a cascading effect on the latter part of the day. Devotees are subjected to great ignominy with the consequent delayed hours totalling up between five to six hours.
It remains that the exception was granted just to suit the needs of the TTD board members as the monthly meeting is held on Fridays. The argument that the cancellation of break darsan on Thursday evenings will attract the wrath of the VIPs holds little water as the records authenticate a negligible turnout of the VIPs who fall under the protocol category. Talking to The Hindu , TTD Executive Officer Dr. Sambasiva rao confirmed receipt of complaints and said that the management was exploring all possibilities in hammering out a fast solution to the nagging issue.