Aadhar card must for Lord Venkateswara devotees to get 'priviledged darshan'

Lord Venkateswara's devotees who aspire to trek the Tirumala hills on foot will be required to produce their Aadhar card as identify proof for receiving authorised tickets for 'privileged special entry darshan' and laddus.

At present, devotees after reaching Tirumala are given some laddus free of cost and subsidised laddus besides special entry into the shrine, temple PRO Talari Ravi said on Thursday.

The devotees who do not have Aadhar card can submit any authorised identity proof to avail the facility midway on the 10 km long stairway leading to the shrine.

Those not submitting id proof would be allowed to Tirumala but would not be permitted to avail the privileged special entry darshan and laddus, he said.

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D Sambasiva Rao, Executive Officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams which governs the shrine, took this decision on Thursday to prevent misuse of the facility by some people, the PRO said.

Every devotee who walks up the hills is given a free laddu and two additional laddus on subsidised price, he said.