Blatant Exploitation in the Name of TTD..!
#TTD, #Tirumala, #TicketScam, #DevoteesAlert, #AndhraPradesh
Is it really this bad? Do devotees have to pay ₹20,000 just to get a darshan of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala? In reality, no official ticket costs that much. This is just one example of how middlemen are exploiting devotees in the name of darshan. A single ticket is being sold for as high as ₹16,500—even though the official Srivani Trust ticket costs only ₹10,500. The extra charge is nothing but fraud by agents.
Middlemen are carrying out large-scale scams through social media, targeting devotees eager to visit Lord Venkateswara, revered as the “Kaliyuga deity.” Despite repeated warnings from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams officials not to trust agents, many fraudsters continue to deceive people. All official tickets are released online, which has ironically become an advantage for these scammers.
They specifically target those unfamiliar with online booking, claiming tickets sell out in seconds and offering “guaranteed” bookings. While TTD releases tickets three months in advance, agents falsely claim availability even after quotas are full, charging ₹2,000 for a ₹300 ticket.
For Srivani Trust tickets, they charge ₹16,500 instead of ₹10,500, adding hefty commissions. They even use edited images and false promises like “darshan within an hour” or “close viewing from 5 feet” to lure devotees.
The exploitation doesn’t stop there. For temple services, they charge up to four times the actual price. A ₹1,000 Kalyanam ticket is sold for ₹5,000, while services officially priced at ₹500 are sold for ₹2,000. They also promise quick darshan within 2–3 hours.
Such scams are not new. Even virtual seva tickets priced at ₹1,400 are being sold at inflated rates. A ₹1,600 Srinivasa Divya Homam ticket is being falsely marketed for ₹14,500 on WhatsApp groups.
Despite complaints to officials, including TTD authorities and state leaders, no strict action has been taken so far. These fraudulent activities are tarnishing the reputation of both the government and TTD, while devotees continue to be cheated.