Can Technology Address Common Challenges at TTD? Read To Know
The Lord Venkateswara temple managed by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is a place of spirituality, serenity and self contemplation for devotees who visit the Tirumala hills.
Due to its popularity, it is also one of the most crowded places, where numbers of visitors soar to peaks during occasions such as the annual Srivari Brahmotsavams festival.
How can the TTD management resolve this ever increasing challenge of managing crowds effectively? And can technology address common issues at Tirumala for better devotee experience?
Keep reading to discover!
What makes a place memorable and reminiscent is not just the venue in itself but the time spent in experiencing it holistically. However, with TTD devotees, the scenario may not be the same as people go to the holy shrine to seek blessings of Lord Venkateswara despite heavy rush and waiting in long queues either during darshanam, or at guest houses and at local sights.
When devotees get to plan their time better it becomes easier for both the management and the visitors to avoid crowding and unnecessary waiting.
One of the primary challenges being navigation within the temple town!
The table here is an indication of the time taken by devotees for darshanam at the Srivari temple.
| Day | Rituals | General Darshana | VIP Darshan | Total time for General and VIP Darshan |
| Monday | 2 Hrs 45 Mts | 18.40 Hrs | 80 Mts | 20 Hrs |
| Tuesday | 3 Hrs 40 Mts | 17.40 Hrs | 80 Mts | 19 Hrs |
| Wednesday | 4 Hs 15 Mts | 17.00 Hrs | 80 Mts | 18.20 Hrs |
| Thursday | 3 Hrs 30 Mts | 18.00 Hrs | 80 Mts | 19.20 Hrs |
| Friday | 4 Hrs 05 Mts | 18.00 Hrs | 40 Mts | 18.40 Hrs |
| Saturday | 2 Hrs 10 Mts | 19.00 Hrs | 40 Mts | 19.40 Hrs |
| Sunday | 2 Hrs I0 Mts | 19.00 Hrs | 40 Mts | 19.40 Hrs |
| Average | 3 Hrs I3 Mts | 18. 1 1 Hrs | 63 Mts | 19.08 Hrs |
Above table has been sourced from a survey.
Looking at the above table, one can observe the packed schedule indicating timelines for darshanam. In case somebody misses the allotted slot time, they need to wait for their turn until the next slot becomes available.
This could also result in searching for new accommodation as you need to extend your stay for darshanam in the next slot.
Mapping and Navigation Technology Can be the Remedy
Apps which help in navigation and wayfinding across the temple town of Tirumala can help devotees plan their time better, resulting in a better experience during their stay.
Locating and Navigation Made Easy- The two most important challenges can be addressed with navigation technology. Devotees at the venue can easily navigate to their interested temples and directly locate and wayfind their hotel or restaurants without any external help by just tapping on their smart phones.
TTD Utsavams Info – It would benefit devotees immensely if they could access the entire list of TTD sevas and utsavams on a single application. This would help them plan their stay and visit local sights as well.