The students taking part under the ‘Garuda Sahayak’ programme were at their best striking an instant rapport with the pilgrims visiting Tirumala.
The concept which is considered to be the brainchild of Tirupati (Urban) SP Abhishek Mohanty aims at extending help and guidance to the pilgrims during the nine-day annual Brahmotsavams that are currently under way at the temple town.
Moving at a mercurial speed, the students in their primary youth are lending assistance in different spheres like child tagging, topographical guidance to the pilgrims, assisting the security personnel besides helping the aged and special category citizens.
It is common for the children to get separated from their parents during mammoth religious congregations like Brahmotsavams which can be traumatic for both the children and the parents.
To check such embarrassing incidents, the Garuda Sahayaks stop the vehicles on their arrival at the GNC toll gate and provide geo tracking tags to the children or infants if any found inside. The name, age, address and mobile number of the parents are provided on the tags for an easy location of the children in case if they were to get lost in the crowd.
They also move along the daily processions of the deity around the Mada streets maintaining an hawk eye on the parents with infants/children.
The sahayaks also assist the security personnel by constantly monitoring the giant video wall being set-up at the Command Control Centre (CCC) to which the CCTV cameras installed at all the pivotal points atop the town are integrated.
They also alert the authorities and assist them in dispatching volunteers to particular places witnessing a sudden congregation of pilgrims.
Kurnool range DIG G. Srinivas was all praise for the social initiative.