Simhachalam darshan ticket sales hit by glitches, devotees left waiting
Devotees seeking Nijarupa darshan tickets for Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at Simhachalam continue to face major hardship. Technical glitches have disrupted online booking. As a result, offline tickets are also selling out within minutes, leaving many pilgrims disappointed.
To begin with, authorities launched online booking as part of the Chandanotsavam arrangements. However, software failures affected the system from April 12 onwards. Consequently, many devotees reported failed transactions. In several cases, banks deducted money, but the system did not issue tickets.
Meanwhile, a ministerial committee had earlier finalised the ticket distribution plan. It set 70% for online sales and 30% for offline sales through nationalised banks. However, officials said the new Temple Management System (TMS) triggered the technical issues. At the same time, a state-level technical team is working to resolve the problem.
Furthermore, Simhachalam Devasthanam Executive Officer J. Venkatarao said authorities released 2,800 tickets of ₹1,000 and 6,000 tickets of ₹300 for online booking between April 12 and 14.
On the other hand, offline sales began through selected bank branches on April 13. From early morning, devotees queued up from 7 a.m. onwards. However, tickets sold out within minutes of the counters’ opening. As a result, many people returned without tickets after waiting for hours.
In addition, officials said banks sold 1,600 tickets of ₹1,000 and 2,500 tickets of ₹300 across four branches in two days. Moreover, sales continued even on Ambedkar Jayanti after the Devasthanam requested the extension.
Meanwhile, concerns grew among devotees over the rapid exhaustion of tickets. In fact, some questioned the transparency of the distribution process.
In response, EO Jallepalli Venkata Rao announced an increase in the offline quota. Accordingly, the share rises from 30% to 50% with approval from the State Endowments Department. Going forward, bank sales will continue for the next three days. The revised schedule includes 1,760, 1,590, and 1,590 tickets in the ₹1,000 category. Additionally, it includes 2,400 tickets daily in the ₹300 category.
Finally, he assured that refunds will be issued. This applies to devotees whose payments were debited, but tickets were not generated.