Request to Tirumala Tirupati[temples] devasthanam.

Flying squirrel resting on a tree at Tirumala hills

TTD is doing a good job of  providing amenities to pilgrims to make their stay pleasant at Tirumala hills.This small temple town is full of tastefully planned gardens and groves that have the rare orange coloured bushy tailed flying squirrels strolling on the streets casually and also leaping in tree tops joyfully.But they seem to be neglecting the temple's maintenance
In my recent visit few weeks back i observed that the gold  plating's on the Vimanum of the temple and silver plating's on the doors and doorways  and walls leading to the inner sanctum  are peeling off .The gloss and glimmer of these platings have dulled .It is time TTD refurbish them .

Second is relating to crowd management.It is as atrocious as ever.

At the entry point to the inner sanctum devotees are herded in like cattle and  are encouraged to rush in madly by those managing the line .It is virtually a mini stampede in the sacred precincts .It is survival of the fittest.In the narrow doorway and in the narrow passage leading to the place where one is allowed to view Srinivasar  five to six persons are made to stand abreast whilst that place can hold only two at a time.So a devotee will enter the sanctum feeling suffocated .
Srinivasar /Lord Venkateswara is described by aazhwars and acharyas since 5 the cent AD and even earlier as a fountain of peace and compassion  who calms the stormy minds of his devotees by his mere glance and his beautiful form .
But what happens within his sacred abode at Tirumala temple is that the bouncers and guards standing on both sides .ready to pull and push away the devotee, just as he comes in front of Srinivasar after he survives  all that pell Melli at the entry point, ignites and fans  more storm in their minds.
For past few years  the presence of these rough  security has been striven to be muted by placing gentle volunteers at their front  .Nevertheless the rough guards are ever present with their strong hands shooting at devotees to push them after a half a second of them coming before the deity.
For past three decades i have been always pushed in front of Srinivasar in the 50-300 rs ticket [50 tickets rs gradually increased to 300rs] by surging crowds from behind and then pulled and pushed by the bouncers and guards with their harsh voice screaming into my ears to be quick to move out .This harsh  treatment is also for those making one time lump donation in 6 figures .Donors are not exempt. The only concession a donor gets is having a darshan once or twice a year as per sum donated any day and let into the queue half way .But the donors have to jostle along with sarva darshan and ticketed devotees like any other for quite distance and in the sanctum . Only once was i left untouched and could have darshan of Srinivasar peacefully and slowly.  This was during a VIP darshan.It was  heavenly.

So whenever i enter the sanctum i am always wary of hands shooting out to grab my arms and push me to the exit door .This happens even before my eyes get adjusted to the cool and dark interiors of the sanctum sanctorium lit by oil lamps to get a eyeful of Srinivasar .

Since i am a old hand ,used to this sort of treatment in this temple for decades  i take it in a resigned manner training myself to be happy and satisfied  with that split second darshan .

For first timers it is worse .They will never anticipate those  rough and tough guards grabbing them and shoving them to the exit and rude and angry admonishments if they resist  their handling.Those devotees will become furious at such rudeness and will start picking quarrels with the guards right in front of visage calm and smiling Srinivasar.They'll be busy fighting [verbally ] with the guards than get a eyeful of this powerful deity forgetting their prayers and pleas and the purpose of their visit.
Instead of feeling satiated with the peace of having a nice view and absorbing the tranquility  of Srinivasar whose all knowing presence can bring tears to one's eyes that person will come out  furious and bitter and swearing revenge at those minions .
This is the feeling of many a devotees .This is specially  true amongst the educated and well heeled class.Some would have come from as far as from USA and from other far off places . Some of them may even drop visiting this temple after one such traumatic visit.
It is time TTD starts treating devotees as human beings when they queue up in the temple for a darshan  of deity which is the main purpose of their visit to Tirumala and find more better  and newer ways  to manage crowd and time within the temple.

A pleasant and workable  management of crowd should be TTD's top priority They should  strive to make having darshan of Lord Venkateswara a peaceful and calm affair and make devotees to come again and again and not  scaring ,scarring and embittering  devotees .  


Note :It is tradition to light the sanctum with oil lamps and i am fully consonant with this tradition being followed in Tirumala as against using glaring tube lights within the sanctum .