Devotees from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana together secured a sizeable share of the much-sought-after darshan tokens for worshipping Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala on Vaikuntha Ekadasi on December 30.
For the first time, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams introduced the e-dip random allotment system for the auspicious occasion. The technology enabled process facilitates advance allotment of darshan slots and ensures complete transparency, as the allocation is decided entirely by the system.
Of the 11,53,689 devotees who registered from Andhra Pradesh, 92,221 secured tokens. Similarly, 49,127 out of 6,07,995 applicants from Telangana were successful. A similar trend was seen in other States, with Karnataka recording 2,95,703 registrations and 23,729 allotments, Tamil Nadu 2,39,335 registrations and 18,838 allotments, Maharashtra 50,344 registrations and 4,032 allotments, Kerala 3,805 registrations and 308 allotments, Odisha 3,379 registrations and 212 allotments, and Gujarat 1,575 registrations and 131 allotments.
The higher number of registrations from the Telugu States has been attributed to greater awareness among devotees about the new system, particularly those who regularly follow the TTD website and the Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel.
The statistics have assumed significance amid allegations that a disproportionate share of tokens had gone to other States, leaving fewer for local devotees. “On an average, about 8 to 12% of registered applicants are allotted tokens. The process is completely system driven, leaving no scope for human intervention,” a senior TTD official told The Hindu.
Although pilgrim footfalls from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are generally high on Vaikuntha Ekadasi, the relatively low number of registrations from these States points to either limited awareness of the new system or a preference for walk in darshan on the auspicious day, the official said.
Even applicants from distant regions found success through the system, with eight of the 114 registered devotees from foreign countries, eight out of 31 from the North Eastern States, and two of 23 from Jammu and Kashmir securing tokens. However, TTD officials said some of these devotees may eventually drop out due to logistical and operational constraints.
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