Vaikunta Ekadasi is one of the most important and much-awaited festivals among the Hindus, particularly when it falls at Lord Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh. It falls annually and is commemorated with the opening of Vaikuntha Dwaram, or the sacred entrance, wherein devotees believe they obtain some special opportunity to attain salvation and divine blessings. The festival will be conducted in the year 2025 from January 10th to 19th for millions of pilgrims arriving from all parts of the world. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, in preparation for the mass influx of pilgrims, has planned and developed an organised mechanism of darshan by making arrangements online for entry through special entry tickets and other accommodation schemes.
The entire system aims at making it more accessible, easier, and spiritually elevating for every one who embarks upon the pilgrimage. Starting from the free provision of food to token system management of the crowd, it will ensure the festival as one which will leave wonderful and elevating moments for the pilgrims.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams online ticket booking opened for Vaikunta Ekadasi 2025 special darshan entry
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has finally opened online ticket booking for special entry darshan tickets for the most-awaited Vaikunta Ekadasi 2025. The major Hindu festival is to take place between January 10 and 19, 2025, where millions of devotees from all over India and other parts of the world are expected to attend.
On December 23, 2024, TTD opened Vaikunta Dwara Darshan, and a day later SED ticketing was accessible on 24th Dec 2024 at 11 am. The tickets enable pilgrims to worship in the temple through its sacred doors of Vaikunta Dwaram, specially meant to enter the place during the 10 day festival. This has been a considerable step taken towards controlling a huge crowd that the event is estimated to expect and making things smooth for it.
How to book tickets for Vaikunta Ekadasi Darshan tickets online
To book your SED and Vaikunta Dwara Darshan tickets, click on the Official website of TTD: https://www.tirumala.org.
Here’s the step-by-step process to book your tickets:
- Log in: Enter your mobile number and generate an OTP to login.
- Select darshan dates and time slot: After login, select the pilgrimage location, darshan date, and available time slots. Availability will be color-coded by the calendar: green for available, yellow for filling up, and red for fully booked.
- Accommodation booking: In addition to the darshan tickets, pilgrims can book accommodations for their stay in Tirumala. Accommodations can be booked 1 to 120 days in advance, but only one booking is permitted per transaction.
- Payment: The preferred options can be chosen for payment through credit/debit card or net banking. An SMS will be sent on the registered mobile number or through e-mail.
- Ticket confirmation: This ticket confirmation will reach the devotee’s mobile or mail id. The pilgrims should take a printout of or save the ticket on the mobile for easy accessibility while going for darshan on the day.
Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) tokens distribution
To manage the immense crowd that is likely to throng the Vaikunta Ekadasi celebrations, TTD will distribute the Slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) tokens. These tokens would be required by devotees to enter the Vaikunta Dwaram and these tokens would be available from various places in Tirupati and Tirumala.
The places of distribution in Tirupati are as follows:
- MR Palli
- Jeevakona
- Ramanaidu School
- Ramachandra Pushkarini
- Indira Maidan
- Srinivasam
- Vishnu Nivasam
- Bhudevi Complex
In addition, there will also be a distribution point at Kaustubham Guest House, Tirumala. Access to the Vaikunta Dwaram will be only restricted to pilgrims carrying valid SSD tokens, resulting in a more streamlined flow and management of visitors. Visitors without SSD tokens, however, can still access the Tirumala town, but they will be excluded from the darshan queue.
Important events during Vaikunta Ekadasi and Dwadasi
The festival of Vaikunta Ekadasi is one of the most prominent in the Hindu calendar. This year, the celebrations will begin on 10 January 2025 at 4:45 AM with the start of VIP protocol darshan. Some of the other important events that will take place in the day are the procession of the Swarna Ratham or the golden chariot, which will take place from 9 AM till 11 AM. It is a great religious processional occasion, in this procession, the god sits upon a chariot that is totally golden, symbolizing his grace upon earth.
There are some rituals held at the temple pond, for instance, Chakrasnanam on 11 January 2025. It occurs between 5:30 AM and 6:30 AM. Since the process of divine Sudarshan Chakra bath happens here under the Pushkarini, it makes this ceremony holier, hence crucial in this festival.
Read More: Saphala Ekadashi 2024: Date, Parana Time, Puja Rituals and Significance
Amenities and facilities to the devotees
Since TTD has to anticipate a huge inflow of devotees for the festival, they have prepared themselves for their basic needs. The primary offerings are:
- Annadana (Free food): It will be dispensed from upma, pongali, tea, coffee, milk, etc. to free meals 6 am-midnight all throughout these days. It fulfills complete satisfaction to the pilgrim by being full of satisfaction.
- Laddu distribution: For the festival, a buffer stock of 3.5 lakh laddus would be maintained for ‘prasadam’ as part of the offerings of the temple.
- Traffic management: TTD in coordination with the local police has made traffic management plans so that devotees are allowed to move smoothly around the temple complex, thereby reducing congestion and keeping things in order.
Tirumala for Vaikunta Ekadasi 2025 streamlined arrangements
With thousands of devotees coming to Tirumala for Vaikunta Ekadasi 2025, the TTD has planned online ticket booking, SSD tokens, food distribution, and traffic management systems as part of this process to make it smooth and spiritual. These measures would ensure that devotees spend more time on religious observance and indulge in the divine aura of the sacred temple rather than worrying about logistical challenges. The celebrations are all set to be a grand event, special rituals and cultural events and the opening of Vaikuntha Dwaram-a pilgrimage experience one will not forget.
