Date:29/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/29/stories/2006052905770600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Waiting hall on Tirumala to be air-conditioned

Special Correspondent

DHARMASTHALA: Union Minister of State for Mines and chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust T. Subbarami Reddy has said that the hall where devotees wait before having darshan of Lord Venkateshwara will be air-conditioned.

Disclosing this here on Sunday at a function to mark the inauguration of the gobar gas plant distribution programme, Mr. Reddy said he was aware of the difficulties devotees undergo while visiting Tirumala and it was a painful sight to see old people standing in long queues to have darshan.

He said that many a time people had to wait for more than two days for darshan of Lord Venkateshwara.

In another announcement, Mr. Reddy stated that the TTD Trust was planning to give priority in darshan to those reaching Tirumala on foot.