Ramanujacharya’s Daily Descent
Ramanujacharya, the revered saint and philosopher of Vishishtadvaita, is celebrated for his devotion to Lord Vishnu. According to legend, he would daily descend from the sacred Tirumala hills every evening and go back the next morning, believing that his continued presence overnight might affect the purity of Lord Venkateswara’s abode.
The Pilgrim Paradox
Every day, approximately 60,000 to 80,000 pilgrims have a darshan at Tirumala. Over the years, this number has remained more or less constant due to physical and other seva-related constraints. However, the experience of visiting Tirumala has undergone a drastic change over the past two decades. What was once a serene and spiritually uplifting environment has now become a “concrete jungle,” with constant honking and traffic jams . As per a report by The Times of India back in 2012, 55 corporate guesthouses were built from 2004, while the number before that was only 20. While we do not have the exact numbers since then, one can safely add another 50. Every open plot has been auctioned in a concentrated area of Padmavathi Nagar. It is a paradox of sorts : while the number of pilgrims remains the same, the infrastructure to accommodate them has grown exponentially, resulting in a loss of tranquility and our ability to connect with our inner selfs.
Upgrading Existing Cottages
While the desire for modern amenities is natural, meeting this demand could have been achieved by upgrading existing facilities rather than constructing new ones. For example, the once-beautiful and serene Valley View Cottages, which were highly sought after by elites, now lie neglected. These and other similar cottages could easily have been renovated and modernized without the need for building new guest houses. This approach would have preserved the serenity of Tirumala while catering to the needs of elite pilgrims.
Is There a Master Plan?
It is unclear to me whether a comprehensive master plan exists for Tirumala’s development. At least now, we must ensure that new construction is planned and located away from Padmavathi Nagar and the temple complex.
Meanwhile, There Is Neglect of Existing Infrastructure
While the focus has been on building new guesthouses, existing facilities, such as the queue complex, have been neglected. These facilities are in urgent need of an overhaul.
Can We Limit the Number of Darshans Per Pilgrim Per Year?
Frequent darshans by elites (myself included) obviously contribute to the strain on Tirumala’s resources. Let’s therefore consider linking darshan records to Aadhaar cards and allow only one darshan per year.
Supporting Soft Infrastructure
While donors often prefer to fund physical infrastructure projects that come with their naming rights, it is time to nudge them toward supporting softer causes such as cultural education, spiritual revival, and other intangible initiatives that have a more meaningful impact on the pilgrims.
Embracing Ramanujacharya’s Teachings
The story I mentioned above from Ramanujacharya’s life offers us a profound lesson: perhaps we should reconsider the need to stay overnight in Tirumala. Instead, we could stay in Tirupati itself and go up the hills only at designated times for our darshan. Or, better yet, we could internalize his teachings and seek the divine within ourselves, rather than making frequent trips to Tirumala.
After being guilty of visiting Tirumala five times in the past year, observing all of the above and the plight of ordinary pilgrims, I have decided to adopt the latter approach. This decision has in turn given me the courage to pen these reflections.
Hari’s Curries:
A Buffet of Reflections