Overview
- Between roughly two and three lakh pilgrims converged on Tirumala for the festival’s peak ritual, with Mada Street galleries filled by noon and tens of thousands viewing from holding areas and LED screens.
- Police deployed 4,223 personnel under a six‑zone command, used CCTV, ANPR, drones and facial recognition, barred two‑wheelers on ghat roads, and guided parking via QR codes to manage flows.
- Heavy footfall strained crowd and traffic controls, causing diversions and delays for many devotees, as reports also cited pressure from VIPs and entourages seeking special access near the procession route.
- The procession began at 6:07 p.m. and passed without major incident as TTD and district teams provided food, water and medical support, with APSRTC running thousands of shuttle trips to ease congestion.
- Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu publicly praised TTD, police and the administration, saying about three lakh devotees experienced the event comfortably thanks to the coordinated arrangements.