Srisailam: Anticipating a massive influx of lakhs of pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and northern states, the Srisailam Devasthanam on Thursday announced revised schedules and online ticketing protocols for Sparsha Darshan and Arjitha Sevas during the upcoming Shravanam month, observed from August 13 to September 12.

Releasing the new guidelines at a joint press conference on Thursday, Temple Trust Board Chairman Pothugunta Ramesh Naidu and Executive Officer M Srinivasa Rao stated that the adjustments aim to ensure smooth crowd management and hassle-free darshan for general pilgrims.

Under the revised plan, Arjitha Abhishekam and Arjitha Kumkumarchana will remain completely suspended on 19 designated peak days, encompassing all Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays throughout the Shravanam month.

On these high-footfall days, Sparsha Darshan will be restricted to a single late-evening slot at 8:30 PM, capped at a limited quota of 250 tickets.

On all non-peak days, Sparsha Darshan will operate as usual across three slots-7:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 9:00 PM-alongside regular Arjitha Seva ticket issuance.

To simplify procurement and eliminate middleman exploitation, the temple management has allocated 80 percent of all available tickets through the official 'Mana Mitra' WhatsApp platform, while the remaining 20 percent will be accessible via the Devasthanam's official web portal. The authorities advised visiting devotees planning to participate in Sparsha Darshan or Arjitha Sevas during the month-long festivities to secure their tickets well in advance through these digital channels before embarking on their pilgrimage to the shrine.