The sacred hills of Tirumala witnessed an unprecedented surge of faith as the annual Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam concluded with a historic milestone. The Sri Venkateswara Temple, one of the world's most visited religious sites, welcomed a staggering 7.83 lakh devotees during the sacred event, setting a new benchmark for pilgrimage attendance.
Unprecedented Daily Footfalls Shatter Records
The pilgrimage fervor peaked over two consecutive days, creating new individual day records. On January 2, a Friday, more than 83,000 pilgrims had the holy darshan, marking the highest-ever turnout for a Friday in the temple's history. This record was astonishingly broken the very next day. On January 3, a Saturday, nearly 89,000 devotees thronged the temple complex, establishing a fresh single-day high for the festival period.
Offerings and Prasadam Sales Reflect Deep Devotion
The spiritual enthusiasm was mirrored in the temple's financial offerings and prasadam distribution. Devotees' contributions led to a monumental hundi collection of Rs 41.14 crore. Simultaneously, the demand for the iconic holy offering, the Srivari laddu, saw a significant jump. The temple administration sold a whopping 44 lakh laddus to the pilgrims, which is 10 lakh more than the number sold during the previous year's event.
A Testament to Enduring Faith and Organizational Effort
This record-breaking pilgrimage is a powerful testament to the enduring devotion to Lord Venkateswara. The massive numbers also highlight the extensive planning and crowd management efforts undertaken by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board. Managing such an immense influx of devotees while ensuring smooth darshan, accommodation, and prasadam distribution is a colossal logistical achievement. The event's success underscores Tirumala's central role in India's spiritual landscape and its ability to attract millions seeking divine blessings.
The data for this historic event was reported by SNV Sudhir and was last updated on 09 January 2026.
