‘No change in darshan pattern for Tirumala devotees’: TTD chairman

A TTD spokesperson said the trust board in its last meeting had taken a decision only on gold plating of Ananda Nilayam and not on the darshan for pilgrims

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Monday clarified that no decision had been taken yet on stopping the darshan of Lord Venkateshwara at Tirumala for devotees, while refurbishing Ananda Nilayam, the “gopuram” atop the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, by replacing the existing gold plating with a new one.

The Lord Venkateswara temple on Tirumala hills in Tirupati. (PTI File Photo)

In a clarification to the report published in HT, a spokesperson of the TTD said the trust board in its last meeting had taken a decision only on gold plating of Ananda Nilayam and not on the darshan for pilgrims.

“While speaking only about the commencement of Balalayam construction on February 23, TTD chairman Y V Subba Reddy told reporters that there would be no change in darshan pattern for devotees,” the spokesperson said.

When asked why there is a need for construction of a Balalayam, if devotees can have a darshan of the presiding deity as usual, the spokesperson said the trust board which would meet again in the first week of February would take call on the same.

“The TTD will discuss with Agama experts and priests on how to handle the darshan issues during the gold-plating works for six to eight months,” the spokesperson added.