Crazy Weather and Crowds Make Pilgrimage Tough in Tirupati

TIRUPATI, Andhra Pradesh, India – August 18, 2025:So, a ton of pilgrims showed up this weekend, and it’s been raining non-stop. Talk about a mess for folks visiting Tirumala! The long weekend with Independence Day and Sri Krishna Janmashtami brought way more people than usual. Some had to wait over 24 hours just to see the shrine. The constant rain just made things worse with flooding and traffic jams, making the whole experience super uncomfortable.

Double Trouble: Too Many People, Too Much Rain

Tirupati and Tirumala were packed as pilgrims came for the long weekend. The Vaikuntam Q Complex was stuffed, and lines stretched for miles. Waiting so long made everything harder, from seeing the shrine to finding a place to sleep or even getting a free meal at the canteen.

The rain didn’t help anyone since Friday, and there was a lot of flooding in Tirupati and Tirumala. The temple was basically underwater, and paths turned into muddy messes, making those who came by footsoaked.

TTD Tries to Handle It, Pilgrims Struggle

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which runs the temple, knows it’s a tough situation. They say they’re doing what they can to handle the crowds and the weather problems. They’ve got extra people handing out free food and water for those waiting.

Still, many pilgrims are annoyed. They don’t like the long waits and not having enough shelter from the rain. Videos online show people walking through knee-deep water. Getting to and from Tirupati was also a pain because trains and buses to Hyderabad and Bengaluru were super crowded.

Traffic and Safety on the Roads

The rain is a problem for the roads to Tirumala. People should drive carefully because it’s hard to see, and there’s a chance of landslides. The TTD has trucks to clear any messes.

The Alipiri footpath, where people walk up the hill, is also risky in spots because of the rain. The TTD has plans for disasters, but with so many people and so much rain, it’s hard to manage.

What’s Next? Lessons for the Temple

This whole thing makes people think about how to run the temple when the weather gets bad. The TTD has made changes to handle crowds, but the combo of a big weekend with rain means they need better plans. This means better weather reports, ways to spread out crowds, and more covered areas for pilgrims.

The pilgrims are hanging in there despite everything and want to do as they planned. The TTD says they’re trying to help and are watching closely.

Reported by: Herohind News Desk