No hike on Tirumala Rooms for Common Pilgrims

No hike on Tirumala Rooms for Common Pilgrims. Change is only with VIP room charges

TTD has commercialised the Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan by opening up for ten days, the EO said, TTD has taken the decision to open the Vaikuntha Dwaram for ten days after getting the consent from 32 Peethadhipathis. “Even our epic says that in Vaikuntha 40 minutes is equal to 10 days in Bhooloka. As many Sri Vaishnava temples including the most ancient Sri Rangam temple also open up the Vaikuntha Dwaram for 10 days, we have decided to implement the same in Tirumala temple also with an aim to provide Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan to more pilgrims. TTD had cancelled VIP tickets during the period and issued even five lakh free tokens for the devotees in Tirupati and no point of commercialisation arises”.

No hike on Tirumala Rooms for Common Pilgrims

As of now 7500 rooms in Tirumala almost 75% of rooms i.e.5000 rooms are between the tariffs of Rs.50, Rs.100 and so which are within the reach of a common pilgrim. TTD had spent almost Rs.120cr to renovate all these rooms by installing new geysers, furniture, flooring, doors and windows, giving them entirely a new look. Though the maintenance on each one of these rooms is to the tune of Rs.200-Rs.250 on us, TTD has not increased their rentals. Apart from these minimal tariff rooms, there are four PACs which accommodate nearly 15000 pilgrims free of cost. It has been decided to construct one more PAC at Rs.100 crore to accommodate another 2000 pilgrims with all free amenities”.

Upon the request of many pilgrims, TTD has decided to give a facelift to the Special Type, SVRH, VVRH and Narayanagiri Rest Houses and spent about Rs. 8crores to modernise 172 rooms on par with Sri Padmavathi Rest House where the protocol VIPs and economically rich will prefer to stay. To maintain a balance, TTD has increased the rentals of these 172 rooms alone since these cottages also fall under MBC and SPRH areas.

Giving priority to the common pilgrim, TTD has taken up many initiatives in recent times of which the renovation of rest houses is one of the most important tasks. For common devotees TTD was been offering free darshan, accommodation, tonsuring, prasadams, medical services, Annaprasadam, Jala Prasadam, transportation and on the social front providing free education, free food in hostels, free medication etc. to the public also.