Tirumala set for Vaikunta Ekadasi on today

Tirumala set for Vaikunta Ekadasi on today TIRUMALA: Wary about the massive influx of pilgrims on the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadasi festival on Wednesday, the TTD officials would start `Sarva darshan’ for common pilgrims at 3 am itself while VIP pilgrims would be allowed up to 2.45 am for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Emboldened by their experiment on New Year day which led to less congregation of pilgrims, the TTD has decided cancel all arjitha sevas on Wednesday and on Vaikunta Dwadasi festival, the next day. A day ahead of Vaikunta Ekadasi, `Koil Alwar Tirumanjanam (temple cleaning) was performed at the Sri Vari temple. The utsava idols were brought out and `abhishekam’ was performed to the deities as thousands of pilgrims witnessed the celestial ritual. A V Dharma Reddy, special officer, said bio-metric passes would be issued to pilgrims at Vaikuntam queue complexes I and II to clear the festive rush on both the days. Sources said the Lord would be taken out in a procession around four mada streets on ’Swarna ratham’ and Asthanam conducted at Ranganayakula mandapam in the evening. On Thursday evening, after the procession of Chakrathalwar to Sri Varaha Swamy temple around four mada streets, `Chakrasnanam’ (celestial bath) would be performed. However, the Thiruppavada seva being conducted on every Thursday would be cancelled on January 8.