Sale of Rs. 300 Tirumala darsan tickets commences at post offices

TTD Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao and Chief Post Master General B.V. Sudhakar handing over a Rs.300 darshan ticket to a woman devotee at the Tirupati Head Post Office on Monday. Post Master General Meera Ranjan Tshering is also seen. Photo: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar

Buoyed by the success of the pilot project of issuing ‘Rs.300 special entry darshan tickets’, Department of Posts (DoP), in association with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), has decided to extend the service through all the 95 head post offices in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from Monday.

The project, offering TTD’s darshan tickets, was envisaged on December 1 last year through nine post offices across five districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with the intention of reaching out to more people. Positive reviews emerging from various corners of the two States prompted the officials to launch the facility through head post offices.

Inaugurating the services at Tirupati's Head Post Office here on Monday, TTD Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao said this method of booking would be more pilgrim-friendly when compared to internet booking/e-darshan as majority of the population including rural masses would have access to post offices.

As many as 5,000 tickets would be allocated by the TTD in different slots for post offices falling under the project. Devotees could book the tickets four weeks in advance so as to plan their itinerary. The facility would also be available at sub post offices at Narasampet (Warangal district) and Madanapalli Bazaar (Chittoor District).

In wake of complaints against internet booking of Rs. 300 tickets, TTD was contemplating ensuring booking in post offices with internet facility. To the suggestion of Chief Post Master General B.V. Sudhakar to enable booking of accommodation and kalyana mandapams through HPOs, Mr. Sambasiva Rao said the TTD would look into the feasibility of introducing the facility.

Postmaster General Meera Ranjan Tsering and District Postal Services D.V.S.R. Murthy from Kurnool region, Tirupati Superintendent of Posts T.A.V. Sarma, TTD Deputy Executive Officer C. Ramana, GM Transport Sesha Reddy, EDP Manager Bhaskar and other officials took part.

Source : http://www.thehindu.com/