Ratha Saptami Fervour in Tirumala Marred by Traffic Mismanagement

Devotees gathered in large numbers for the annual Ratha Saptami celebrations at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara on Sunday. Traffic restrictions and crowd control measures, however, caused major inconvenience and dulled the festive spirit.

Temple authorities took the processional deity, Lord Malayappa Swamy, around the temple precincts on seven vahanams in a continuous sequence. The procession began before dawn and continued till late at night. The vahanams included Suryaprabha, Chinna Sesha, Hanumantha, Garuda, Kalpavriksha, Sarvabhoopala, and Chandraprabha.

Priests began the festivities at daybreak with the Suryaprabha vahanam. They concluded the celebrations at night with the Chandraprabha vahanam. Thousands of devotees assembled at the southwest corner of the temple to witness the first rays of the Sun fall on the deity’s feet. The moment created a powerful spiritual atmosphere across Tirumala.

Many pilgrims, however, struggled to move around the temple town. Police set up barricades at key junctions and enforced strict traffic controls. These measures led to congestion and confusion in several areas.

Officials closed all arterial roads leading to the Mada streets, where the seven processions passed. Devotees had to walk long distances to find suitable viewing points. Authorities also stopped those seated in galleries from leaving their places, despite repeated requests.

Pilgrims unfamiliar with Tirumala’s layout walked four to five kilometres to reach the starting points of the darshan queue lines on the Outer Ring Road. The long walks caused fatigue and anxiety, even though TTD had announced elaborate arrangements.

The Outer Ring Road witnessed heavy disorder. Drivers parked their vehicles on both sides of the road, which slowed traffic sharply. Many devotees returning home remained stuck in long traffic jams.

At the same time, officials supplied free food packets, drinking water, and beverages without interruption. Volunteers served devotees who stayed in the galleries until the end of the festivities.