The TTD has also appealed to devotees to come equipped with masks and hand sanitisers to Tirumala in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, reported by The Hindu.

Tirupati: Tirupati Tirumala Temple has decided to refund the amount of the booked tickets for darshan and accomodation if they desire to cancel the tickets, in the view of Corona Virus scare, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer A.V. Dharma Reddy said on Tuesday.

The TTD has also appealed to devotees to come equipped with masks and hand sanitisers to Tirumala in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Keeping in mind the Summer season, Temple authorities have planned for temporary sheds to be made in the close proximity of the main temple and at areas where devotees gather in large numbers, in order to provide them shade from the heat.

Roads and trekking routes will also be given a white coat of paint once a week to give devotees relief from the summer heat. Emphasis will be laid on providing accommodation to those reaching the town without any recommendation letters, officials said.

Senior citizens and visitors who come with children aged below five will be allowed into the temple on a normal basis. However, special courtesies extended to them twice a month shall be temporarily withdrawn in May and June.

While around one crore devotees visited the temple between April and July last year, the laddoo sales soared to a high of 4.60 crore during this period. Efforts are on to better last year’s performance, Mr. Dharma Reddy said.

Image Sources: Wikipedia