No increase in Tirumala devotees in July

TIRUMALA: With 17 Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) employees testing positive for coronavirus, the TTD Trust Board held an emergency meeting on Saturday and decided not to increase the number of devotees allowed to the shrine till the end of the month. The board also decided to introduce ‘Kalyanotsavam’ online, for which devotees can book slots.

Speaking to the media after convening the meeting via videoconferencing, TTD Trust Board chairman YV Subba Reddy said, “We resumed darshan of Lord Venkateswara on June 8, and conducted a survey on pilgrims who returned home.

None were infected. But as the number of Covid-19 cases is rising across the country, we won’t increase the number of pilgrims allowed for darshan till the end of the month.” Initially, 6,000 devotees were allowed per day, and the number has now been increased to 12,000.

Swabs are collected from 150 pilgrims at random every day, and none of them have tested positive, Subba Reddy said. But tests performed on TTD staff in the past week revealed that 17, including an Archaka and four Melam (Dolu musicians), were infected, he said, adding they contracted the virus from their friends, relatives and neighbours.

15-day shift system for TTD staff

“In view of this, we are going to introduce a 15-day shift system, and officials are to convey this message to all employees and their unions,” he said and reiterated his appeal to devotees to book darshan slots online and avoid going on pilgrimage if they hail from red zones or containment zones.

Subba Reddy further said that based on requests from devotees, they are considering online Kalyanotsavam. “Kalyanam is being telecast live every day on SVBC. Archakas will read out the Gotra Namas of devotees who book Kalyanotsavam tickets online. We also plan to send prasadams by post. However, officials will discuss this with priests and take a call,” he added.

Subba Reddy said that with the initiative taken by the Karnataka and AP Chief Ministers, the 15-year pending issue of Karnataka choultries has come to an end, and on the land leased to Karnataka charities at Tirumala, both TTD and the Karnataka government agreed to build a Pilgrim Amenities Complex and Kalyana Mandapam. “The Karnataka government, after submitting a plan to the TTD Board for approval soon, will deposit `200 crore with the TTD for construction work.

In the ensuing Sravana month, Karnataka CM Yediyurappa also promised to come for the foundation stone-laying ceremony, for which he will also invite his AP counterpart YS Jagan Mohan Reddy,” the chairman said. Meanwhile, the online bidding process will soon be enabled to provide transparency in allotment of sites for construction of rest houses in Tirumala.

Other precautions
More safety measures at Kalyanakatta. Barbers will be given gloves, half-PPE Barbers to change gloves after tonsuring every pilgrim Vahanam bearers should wear masks and gloves, and vahanams will be sanitised regularly Similar measures will be taken even at prasadam distribution centres and local temples

Kalyanotsavam to go online
“Kalyanam is being telecast live every day on SVBC. Archakas will read out the Gotra Namas of devotees who book Kalyanotsavam tickets online. We also plan to send prasadam by post. However, officials will discuss this with priests and take a call,” said TTD Trust Board chairman YV Subba Reddy