Tirumala, 27 April 2026 – In view of the ongoing summer‑rush and long‑hour‑queues in Tirumala, TTD Additional Executive Officer Sri Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary has directed Big Canteen operators in Tirumala to complete modernization works at the earliest and make them fully available to devotees as soon as possible. He chaired a meeting with Big Canteen operators on Monday at the Sudharma Meeting Hall in Sri Padmavathi Rest House, insisting that food‑safety, price‑controls, and traditional menu‑standards be strictly followed.
1. Big Canteens to be modernized and made devotee‑friendly
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Why this is urgent
The summer‑rush in Tirumala has pushed Sarva‑darshan waiting times to 18–24 hours, and TTD runs Big Canteens and Janata Canteens as key points of food‑and‑hydration support for devotees inside the queue‑complex and outside‑line. Modernization is meant to increase capacity, hygiene, and service‑speed so that more people can get hot, affordable meals in less time. -
What the Additional EO ordered
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Complete modernization works quickly: operators must finish all infrastructure, kitchen, and seating upgrades without delay, so that canteens are fully functional, air‑cooled, and barrier‑free for queues.
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Stick to TTD‑fixed prices: Food items must be sold only at the prices fixed under TTD policy; no arbitrary‑hikes or “premium‑tagging” for devotees are allowed.
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Serve only traditional food: hotels and canteens must stock and sell only traditional Telugu / South‑Indian food (meal‑sets, rice‑varieties, pappu‑veg‑mix, etc.), not generic‑fast‑food that can strain digestion in long‑standing‑queues.
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Enforce dress‑code strictly: staff must wear neat, traditional uniforms, reflecting the temple‑environment and TTD’s image‑guidelines.
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Sanitation and cleanliness
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The Additional EO emphasized top‑priority for sanitation, including daily‑deep‑cleaning, proper waste‑disposal, and regular‑inspection of raw‑ingredients.
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He stressed that cleanliness of the surroundings (seats, tables, floors, waste‑bins, water‑points) must be maintained round‑the‑clock, since this directly impacts devotee‑health during heat‑waves.
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2. Janata Canteen operators told to keep prices affordable
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Later, the Additional EO held a separate meeting with Janata Canteen operators and instructed them to provide food to devotees at low, fixed‑norm prices as per TTD‑prescribed‑rates.
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Janata Canteens are meant for economic‑class devotees, so any attempt to inflate prices or reduce portion‑size will be viewed as violation of TTD‑guidelines and may lead to penalty or license‑review.
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He also asked them to coordinate with Annaprasadam‑wing to ensure continuous supply of rice, sambhar, curd‑rice, and hot‑tea or‑buttermilk during peak‑hours.
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3. Cottage‑Donor‑Scheme rest houses must be handed over by 15 May
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The Additional EO then met donors constructing rest houses in Tirumala under the Cottage Donor Scheme, and urged them to expedite construction since the summer‑rush is already underway and demand‑for‑rooms is high.
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He directed that all such newly‑built rest houses be handed over to TTD by 15 May 2026, so that:
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Elderly, differently‑abled, and family‑groups can get affordable / complimentary accommodation without booking‑struggle.
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Medical‑emergency‑and‑heat‑stroke‑cases can be managed in nearby‑sheltered‑rooms.
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He also instructed that every newly‑constructed rest house in Tirumala must have generator‑backup for power, to guarantee lights, coolers, fans, and signaling‑systems even during load‑shedding or network‑outages. This is crucial for night‑shifting devotees and medical‑support‑staff.
