The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) is preparing to introduce an offline darshan ticket system for elderly and disabled devotees, who currently must use the online reservation system. This change aims to address longstanding accessibility concerns at one of India’s most visited temples.

Lord Venkateswara’s temple in Tirumala receives thousands of visitors daily, managed through various queuing systems including regular darshan, special entry darshan (₹300), walkway darshan, VIP break darshan, and dedicated queues for elderly and disabled devotees. As waiting times for regular darshan increased, elderly and physically challenged devotees faced particular hardship waiting for hours.

The temple initially allowed special access through the Mahadwaram, but discontinued this when numbers grew unmanageable. They later established dedicated counters in South Mada Street, issuing tokens near the museum for morning (10 AM) and afternoon (3 PM) slots, accommodating 700 devotees in each time period.

During COVID, TTD eliminated offline ticketing entirely, moving to an online-only system. They also canceled morning slots, limiting special access to just 700 people at 3 PM daily. This made darshan particularly difficult for those unable to navigate digital systems, creating significant hardship for elderly devotees without tech support.

Recognizing these difficulties, temple authorities have decided to reintroduce offline ticketing for vulnerable groups. However, important details remain unclear – including allocation numbers between online and offline systems, and implementation timeframe. Since online tickets are already booked three months in advance, sources within TTD suggest the offline system might begin in July.