Tirupati, May 9 (IANS) Authorities have tightened security at Sri Venkateswara temple atop Tirumala hills near here in the wake of tension on the India-Pakistan border.
Police and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the hill shrine, have stepped up security as a precautionary measure.
Tirupati district Superintendent of Police Harshvardhan Raju held a meeting with the district officials.
The Organisation for Counter Terrorist Operations (OCTOPUS), an elite anti-terror commando unit responsible for providing security at Tirumala, along with other security personnel, will conduct checks around the temple later in the day. Officials said a tight vigil was being maintained in the temple premises.
Police were making additional security arrangements in coordination with the security and vigilance wings of the TTD.
Security has also been tightened in Tirupati town and on the ghat roads leading to the temple. Security personnel were thoroughly checking all vehicles and devotees travelling from Tirupati to the hill shrine.
All vehicles, including Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses, were being checked at the Alipiri checkpoint in Tirupati. The security personnel were also examining the luggage of devotees.
Authorities were also closely monitoring pedestrian paths to the temple.
Devotees using Alipiri Mettu and Srivari Mettu footpaths were being frisked and their luggage was being checked by police and other security personnel.
Police and the TTD had stepped up vigil after the April 22 terror attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir. Following the security development over the last couple of days in the border areas, they have enforced additional security measures.
On May 2, OCTOPUS, police, TTD Vigilance and others conducted a mock drill on the security measures to be taken in case of any infiltration of terrorists into the Sri Kapila Theertham Temple in Tirupati. It is one of the temples managed by the TTD.
The TTD Vigilance and Security, Civil Police, Bomb Squad, Reserve personnel, Medical, Fire personnel, Revenue and Traffic personnel were thoroughly briefed on how to deal with a terrorist attack.
Sri Venkateswara Temple is considered the richest Hindu temple in the world. Every day, 70,000 to 80,000 pilgrims visit the temple, and the crowd swells to more than a lakh on special occasions.
According to TTD, 71,000 devotees had ‘darshan’ on Thursday (May 8).
In March, the TTD Board of Trustees approved the budget for Rs 5,258.68 crore for the financial year 2025-26.
–IANS
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