Slot-based darshan, QR tickets, vehicle passes for Chandanotsavam on April 20

Visakhapatnam: State endowment department minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy stated that plans have been formulated and robust arrangements are being made for the Chandanotsavam festival scheduled on April 20, as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the Andhra Pradesh govt. The temple management expected around two lakh devotees to come for nijarupa darshanam on that day.After reviewing the arrangements at collectorate on Saturday, Ramanarayana Reddy, along with the Visakhapatnam district in-charge minister Dola Sribala Veeranjaneya Swamy, explained key aspects of the festival's organisation. A subcommittee of three ministers has been set up by the state govt for monitoring major festivals across the state.In a review meeting with officials, the in-charge minister and home minister V Anitha revealed that about 75%-80% of the arrangements have been completed. They assured that all the works would be finalised by April 15.In the early hours of April 20, the family of the hereditary trustee and governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju will receive the first darshan, followed by the offering of silk garments with govt honours. Special arrangements have been made for the convenience of devotees, including special darshan slots for the disabled and elderly. All darshan tickets will be issued in a slot system, and devotees are advised to arrive accordingly.QR codes will be implemented on tickets and vehicle passes, making parking and guidance information easily accessible. Protocol and VIP tickets will be issued under the supervision of the district collector. Emphasising online ticketing, 70%-80% of tickets will be issued online as per the chief minister's orders. The queue will be organised into five sections, each accommodating around 21,000 devotees. Crowd control measures will be implemented through holding areas. Facilities like drinking water, buttermilk, milk and biscuits will be provided with the cooperation of the temple machinery and voluntary organisations. Trained volunteers, known as "Swami Vari Sevakulu", will be deployed.For security, surveillance will be enhanced with CCTV cameras and modern artificial intelligence technology to monitor the movement of devotees. Measures will be taken to report the number of devotees to the govt every hour. Coordination between departments is crucial, the minister said.