TIRUMALA, INDIA, October 8, 2005: For the first time in the Tirumala temple’s history the waiting time for pilgrims in the general queue lines for darshan has touched a staggering 122 hours. A pilgrim opting for a free-darshan sudarshan token at 5.00 p.m., on Friday will get his turn at 7.00 p.m., on October 12, the concluding day of the ongoing annual brahmotsavams. Officials attributed the reasons for the long wait to the 10-day Dasara holidays and the current puratasi month, considered auspicious for Tamils. Also, the most important event of the brahmotsavams — the garuda seva falls on Saturday, again considered auspicious to worship the presiding deity. Those preferring US$1.13 special entry darshan tickets will have to wait for around 62 hours. The unprecedented rush has led to heated verbal duels between the pilgrims and the TTD staff manning various cottage allotment counters. With no vacancies being registered, TTD staff were also helpless. At one stage, irate pilgrims, who could not even secure minimum accommodation, resorted to dharna (a “sit-in”) at the Central Reception Office on Friday afternoon.
HPI note: Pilgrims don’t have to actually stand in line for this full time of 122 or 62 hours, due to the well organized token system which allows them to enter the lines fairly close to their allotted time.