Garuda Seva: Tirupati buzzes with thousands of devotees
On Sunday, Tirupati was buzzing as thousands gathered for the Garuda Seva—a highlight of the Srivari Salakatla Brahmotsavams festival where Lord Venkateswara is paraded on his eagle mount.
The turnout this year was so massive that local transport struggled to keep up, and police had to regulate traffic and stagger vehicle movement.
APSRTC bus station and railway station overwhelmed
Devotees started arriving as early as Saturday evening, quickly overwhelming both the APSRTC bus station and railway station.
Even with extra busses running every few minutes to Tirumala hills, people faced long lines and packed vehicles just to get a ride.
Police stepped in to direct vehicles
The rush led to major traffic jams at the Alipiri checkpoint and toll plaza.
Police stepped in to direct vehicles and stagger arrivals since parking space was limited—doing their best to keep things moving smoothly during this huge spiritual event.