Simhachalam Chandanotsavam Tickets Face Delay, Transparency Concerns
The distribution of tickets for the Chandanotsavam festival at the Simhachalam temple has come under scrutiny after devotees and stakeholders raised concerns over delays, sudden changes in procedure, and lack of transparency.
Temple authorities had initially released a portion of the tickets through banks and online platforms, which received a strong response. However, the bank-based sales were abruptly stopped on Friday without prior notice, leaving devotees confused.
Late on Thursday night, the Executive Officer announced that the remaining tickets would be sold online. The booking window opened at 8 a.m. on Friday, with a restriction of one ticket per login. Devotees reported that tickets were sold out within minutes. One user claimed a successful login at 8.02 a.m. but found no tickets available shortly after.
Criticism has grown over the shift to an online-only system. Many argue it has reduced transparency and accountability, as physical counters previously allowed better grievance redressal and clearer monitoring.
As part of the allocation system, each MLA from the combined Visakhapatnam district is set to receive 25 tickets priced at ₹1,500 and 25 tickets at ₹1,000, along with Antaralaya darshan access for six family members. However, officials have not completed the full distribution yet, and only one car pass per MLA has been issued so far.
In addition, three public representatives are allotted 100 tickets each, along with 10 car passes per person.
Meanwhile, several businessmen, donors, and organisations who applied for tickets are still awaiting responses. Officials have cleared only a limited number of requests, leaving many applications pending.
The District Revenue Officer is currently on duty in Delhi and is expected to return on Saturday evening, delaying further processing of files. The EO office has approved only select requests while rejecting or leaving several others unattended.
Allegations have also emerged about concentrated control over ticket allocation within the temple administration. Sources claim that an Assistant EO, a superintendent, and a transport official collectively manage around 2,000 tickets and distribute them selectively.
Critics say the Executive Officer’s office is indirectly involved and that oversight mechanisms remain weak, intensifying demands for a transparent and accountable ticket distribution system.