Metro India News | AMARAVATI

The annual Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple began in a grand and devotional atmosphere in the early hours of Monday, marking the observance of the sacred Vaikunta Ekadasi festival. The Vaikunta Dwaram was ceremonially opened for devotees at 12.05 am, shortly after midnight, allowing lakhs of pilgrims to seek the divine blessings of Lord Venkateswara through the auspicious gateway.

Ahead of the opening, traditional Dhanurmasa rituals, special haratis and naivedyams were performed inside the sanctum sanctorum in strict adherence to temple customs. Following the completion of these rituals, the temple Jeeyangars, priests, senior officials of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, and members of the TTD Trust Board conducted a customary circumambulation of the Vaikunta Dwaram before opening it for devotees.

TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu said that darshan was commenced earlier than the scheduled time to facilitate smooth movement of devotees. “We ensured that the Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan began ahead of time and made comprehensive arrangements so that devotees do not face even the slightest inconvenience,” he stated, adding that crowd management and security measures had been strengthened across the temple town.

According to TTD authorities, the Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam will continue for 10 days, until January 8. For the first three days, darshan will be restricted to devotees holding pre-issued tokens, while from January 2 onwards, general devotees will also be allowed to participate in the sacred observance.

In view of the massive influx of pilgrims, the TTD has made elaborate arrangements for laddu prasadam distribution, annadanam, accommodation, sanitation and traffic regulation in Tirumala and Tirupati. Officials are monitoring the situation round the clock to ensure a smooth and spiritually fulfilling experience for devotees during one of the most significant festivals.