A massive wave of spiritual fervour is being seen across South India today, as millions of devotees gathered at Vaishnavite shrines for the auspicious Vaikunta Ekadasi.
The festival, which marks the opening of the celestial "Gates of Heaven", saw record turnouts at major temples, supported by unprecedented high-tech security and AI-driven crowd management.
At the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala, the sacred Vaikunta Dwaram, or inner sanctum passage, was ceremoniously opened at approximately 1:30 am following special rituals.
To manage the estimated one lakh pilgrims daily, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has implemented an Integrated AI-based Command and Control Centre for the first time. This system uses real-time video analytics to monitor density at "bottleneck" points like the Gogarbham Dam Circle and Silathoranam.
TTD Chairman BR Naidu confirmed that for the first three days, from December 30 to January 1, darshan is strictly restricted to devotees who secured tokens via the e-dip process.
Over 3,000 police personnel and 1,800 vigilance guards have been deployed to fortify the temple premises.
The iconic Swarna Rathotsavam (Golden Chariot procession) also took place this morning, with Lord Malayappa Swamy blessing thousands along the four Mada streets.
The Royal Procession In Diamonds
In Srirangam, the "Bhuloka Vaikuntam," the opening of the Paramapada Vasal (Gate to Vaikunta) occurred at 4:45 am. Lord Namperumal, the processional deity, emerged from the sanctum clad in the legendary Ratnangi (gem-studded golden armor).
The Tiruchi City Police have established a temporary outpost within the temple complex, using Face Recognition Software synchronised with a database of 70,000 known offenders to ensure pilgrim safety.
Traffic has been completely diverted from the Chithirai and Uthra streets to accommodate the sea of devotees.
Similar scenes of devotion were witnessed at the Bhadrachalam Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple, where the Uttara Dwara Darshanam followed last night's grand Teppotsavam (float festival).
Across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu were adorned with nearly 50 tonnes of exotic flowers.
To assist those waiting in the winter chill, temple authorities have set up mobile food units and medical camps every 500 meters.
The Vaikunta Dwara darshan facility will remain open for ten days at Tirumala, concluding on January 8, 2026, with the Chakrasnanam ritual.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
