By Ananya Sharma 
New Delhi, September 24: Tirumala has a way of pulling everything into its orbit: faith, politics, money, and now even artificial intelligence. On Tuesday, the hill town was buzzing on all fronts. Donations worth lakhs, a Chief Minister’s ritual visit, the launch of a high-tech control room, and a fierce political battle over temple funds all collided against the backdrop of the grand Brahmotsavams. For devotees, it was another day of darshan. For everyone else, Tirumala once again became a mirror of Andhra Pradesh’s bigger story.
A Scandal That Refuses To Go Away
The sharpest edge of the day came from the Parakamani halls, where temple hundi collections are counted. The TDP claims that the previous YSRCP government presided over a scam running into ₹100 crore, accusing officials of siphoning off cash while CCTV cameras quietly recorded the lapses. The allegation is not new, but this time the state has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The politics around it are predictable but still intense. The TDP, back in power under N. Chandrababu Naidu is pitching it as proof that the YSRCP looted the very offerings of pilgrims. The YSRCP, on its part, has brushed it off as a vendetta. In a state where Tirumala is never just a temple but a political stage, the fallout could be serious. A scam touching the sanctity of the hundi has the power to shake faith as much as it rattles governments.
Cameras That Can Think
Even as investigators sift through hours of footage, the temple administration has turned to technology to keep pace with the crowds. At the Vaikuntham-1 Complex, the TTD has switched on an Integrated Command and Control Centre that uses AI tools to monitor pilgrim movement.
Officials say the system can flag choke points before they get out of hand, using live feeds from hundreds of cameras spread across the hilltop. For a shrine that can see upwards of 70,000 people a day, the stakes are high. The promise is that the AI will cut down waiting time and smooth the flow during the ongoing Brahmotsavams.
Of course, nothing unnerves devotees like a sudden disruption inside Tirumala. Technology can predict movement, but it cannot read a pilgrim’s impatience or a child’s restlessness. If the system stumbles during a festival rush, it will be the police and TTD guards who bear the brunt.
Gold And Silk: The Language Of Devotion
Even with the political heat and the tech rollouts, the day carried its share of timeless gestures. Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, the MP from Chevella, offered an Asta Lakshmi Chandra Vanka, a gold ornament weighing over half a kilo and worth about ₹60 lakh. Gifts like these are not unusual at Tirumala, but each one is a reminder of how tightly power, wealth, and piety are bound in Andhra’s public life.
Later in the day, Chief Minister Naidu himself was scheduled to present Pattu Vastrams or silk robes to Lord Venkateswara, as part of the Brahmotsavam rituals. Every Andhra Chief Minister performs this duty, regardless of party, but Naidu’s offering this year is layered with symbolism. It is his first as CM after a comeback, and the act doubles as both a personal vow and a public message: the state bows to Tirumala.
Brahmotsavams In Full Swing
The Brahmotsavams, Tirumala’s most celebrated festival, are being organised on a larger scale this year, with the TTD setting aside ₹25 crore. Elaborate decorations and colourful processions have drawn thousands already, and the numbers will swell further in the coming days. On September 23, the temple logged 63,837 darshans, an ordinary day by Tirumala standards but still a small city’s worth of visitors.
To keep things under control, more than 5,000 police personnel and temple guards have been stationed on the hill. Their job will be tested further if the weather plays spoilsport. The IMD has issued a yellow alert warning of heavy rain across 15 districts, including Chittoor. For festival organisers, it is a tricky balance: processions must go on, but not at the cost of safety.
Where Faith Meets Politics
Strip away the rituals and donations, and Tirumala’s story today is as much about the state as it is about the deity. A suspected scam has become a weapon in Andhra’s bruising political fight. AI cameras are now keeping watch over pilgrims in ways unthinkable even five years ago. Politicians are once again vying to be seen at the deity’s feet, gold ornaments in hand, silk robes in tow.
For the millions who climb the seven hills, what matters most is the darshan itself, the fleeting moment before Lord Venkateswara. But for the men who run Andhra, Tirumala is something more: a barometer of credibility, an arena of control, and perhaps the truest test of whether power still bends before faith.
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- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
Kavita Iyer