TTD cancels darshan at Tirumala for six days in August

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams board has reportedly decided to close darshan at the Lord Venkateswara temple for six days from August 11. The TTD board made the decision on Saturday at a meeting over performing the ritual of ‘Ashta Bandhana Maha Samprokshanam’ of the Lord.

Board chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav on Saturday reportedly said the ritual is conducted once in 12 years in the Tirumala shrine, adding that it commences with Ankurarpanam on August 11 and concludes on August 16 this year. The decision ‘to dispense with darshan’ was taken ‘to avoid hardships to devotees, reports quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, the Rayalaseema Porata Samithi convener P. Naveen Kumar Reddy expressed doubts over the decision and questioned, “Are there any valuable things that the Board wants to shift out of the temple?”