Tirupati, February 28: With the ever increasing pilgrim influx to the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), has the huge task of managing pilgrim rush. Increasing pilgrim rush means, increasing demand for accommodation in Tirumala. Considering the limited space in Tirumala, TTD is contemplating several measures and it even conducted a seminar to elicit opinions of experts in this regard.
One of the plans mooted by TTD was ‘Divya Bharathi Project’. The concept was placed before TTD Board of Trustees on November 22, 2009 and a resolution was passed to implement it. However, it was not taken forward. The concept was again placed before TTD Specified Authority Meeting held on January 20, 2011 and it has been decided to consider the proposal.
“The proposal is to develop 108 ‘Divya Kshetrams’ at the foothills of Alipiri and at the same time provide more accommodation in Tirupati itself, so as to reduce the burden on Tirumala and streamline Srivari Darshan, have darshan of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala and return back, without wasting much of time,” a higher official of TTD said.
According to TTD engineering department officials, the prime focus was to give prominence to religious activities at Tirumala temple. Other objectives in the list include shifting of commercial activities from Tirumala, restriction of the number of pilgrims entering Tirumala, so as to avoid making pilgrims wait for long and provision of alternative accommodation at Tirupati for comfortable stay before entering Tirumala.
The project also proposes to create spiritual ambience in Tirupati, which would provide entertainment and educational experience to the visiting pilgrims, while they wait for darshan.
The Divya Bharathi project envisages to develop 108 vaishnavaite temples/sannidhis, which reflects a vision that the entire country is one and that it is bound together by a common spiritual thread, thus the name Diyva Bharathi. It also aims to develop accommodation for about 25,000 to 30,000 pilgrims, preferably near Alipiri with necessary facilities such as bus stand, shops, canteens, hospital etc.
As far as the land requirement for the project is concerned, it was suggested that 25 acres of vacant land out of the 45 acres owned by TTD at Alipiri, could be used for the purpose. There is already a bus stand, guest houses, pilgrim amenity complex and other buildings like income tax guest house, SVISTA, deaf and dumb school, RTC bus depot etc in 20 acres of that land.
In 2002, a proposal was made to construct different types of guest houses in that area, which could accommodate about 15,000 pilgrims. There is also 150 acres of land opposite SV Vedic University, which could be used for the proposed 108 vaishnavite sannidhis.
TTD constituted a committee under PVRK Prasad, a former EO of TTD to look into the means for better management of pilgrims. The Divya Bharathi Project would also be studied by the committee, TTD officials said.
–Agencies