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| - By: Rajeswari Parasa
October 17 2024
Currently, there is only one dedicated slot for senior citizens, which is reserved from Monday to Saturday at 3 p.m.
What is the claim?
Social media users have claimed that Chandrababu Naidu, the chief minister of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, has announced free slots for senior citizens at the Tirupati temple. A post on X (formerly Twitter) reads, "Chandrababu Naidu's first reform in Tirupati. Good news for senior citizens visiting Tirupati Balaji. Free Darshan [being able to view and pray to the deity's idol] for citizens who have passed 65 years. Two slots are allotted. One at 10 AM and another at 3 PM. You have to submit Age Proof along with Photo ID and report to S1 Counter (sic)."
The message is also viral on WhatsApp and other social media platforms. Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.
Screenshot of the claim circulating on social media. (Source: WhatsApp/X/Screenshot)
However, the viral claim is false. Currently, there is only one dedicated slot for senior citizens, which is reserved from Monday to Saturday at 3 p.m. Speaking to Logically Facts, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the official trust that administers the temple, said that no new changes have been made to this provision.
What are the facts?
We checked TTD's official website but did not find any recent announcement about new temple visit slots for senior citizens. The temple did have two slots for senior citizens before the pandemic, but this changed in April 2022, according to a temple representative.
Upon looking into the archives of the temple's website, we could trace the two slot provision back to December 2014, indicating that it was already in place at that time. Archive version of the similar provision can be seen in March 2015. Additionally, the archives show special darshan for senior citizens existed even before 2014. An archived post can be found here.
Currently, the website shows only one free slot timing for senior citizens—Monday to Saturday at 3 p.m. The website also states that devotees have to show their Aadhaar card, an identity document, to avail the senior citizen darshan benefits and only 1000 devotees can be accommodated in the category per day.
The TTD website rules for temple visit slots for senior citizens. (Source:tirumala.org)
Speaking the Logically Facts, a TTD representative who wished to remain anonymous said, "No such new provision has been added recently. As of now, free darshan for senior citizens is available only for one slot — at 3 p.m. This darshan needs to be booked online well in advance."
The TTD board had also issued a clarification (archived here) in June 2024, when the claim first surfaced. The statement clarified that the TTD releases online quota for 1,000 senior citizens and people with physical disabilities on the 23rd of every month.
The verdict
Contrary to social media claims, no new provision has been introduced by Chandrababu Naidu's government for senior citizens visiting Tirupati Temple. The special slot darshan provision has existed for over a decade but some changes were made to it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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