TIRUPATI, INDIA, August 13, 2013 (Hindustan Times): For the first time in the last three decades, state-owned APSRTC buses on Tuesday did not operate its services on the hill routes leading to the Lord Venkateswara shrine following an indefinite strike by transport unions across the state. They were demanding reversal of the Center’s decision to carve out a new state of “Telangana” from Andhra Pradesh.
Temple sources said that the entire fleet of about 500 buses running between Tirumala and Tirupati went off the road today. It was for the first time devotees were affected by such a protest since October 14, 1984 when the hill route services went off the road in support of the then Chief Minister, late N. T. Rama Rao who was undemocratically ousted, they said.
The sources said devotees proceeding in small vans and cars on the hill routes were spared by the agitating Samaikya Andhra movement leaders. The pilgrims at Tirumala and in Tirupati had to wait for hours to catch private vehicles who charged higher fares.
The hill temple Deputy Executive Officer Chinnamgari Ramana told PTI the pilgrim rush on the hills has come down considerably with precautionary measures taken up by temple management. As part of it, non-stop mahalaghu darshan (offering worship from a distance) was imposed in the temple from Saturday last, clearing a pilgrim rush of about 200,000 devotees. On forenoon today, there were only about 15,000 devotees on the hills and of them, only half were waiting in the queue for darshan.