Tirumala Srivari Seva: How Lakhs of Volunteers Serve Devotees Ahead of Brahmotsavams

As the annual Srivari Brahmotsavams begin on October 12, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is highlighting the importance of Srivari Seva, a voluntary service initiative dedicated to helping pilgrims visiting Lord Venkateswara. Volunteers assist devotees with food distribution, queue management, accommodation guidance, laddu counters, token distribution and support for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and families with young children. They also help maintain order during temple processions and provide basic assistance to pilgrims who fall ill. Launched experimentally in 1998 and formally inaugurated in November 2000, the initiative has grown into a large volunteer network. According to the information provided, it has more than 1.8 million registered members, with approximately 3,000 to 4,000 volunteers serving pilgrims daily. Volunteers undergo orientation and are expected to dedicate at least six hours a day to service during their assignment.

TTD is now expanding the programme beyond crowd management by introducing professional training and specialised service divisions. With support from the Andhra Pradesh Planning Department and IIM Ahmedabad, a training manual has been developed to improve volunteer coordination, time management, first aid and crowd management skills. Plans are also underway to extend services to education, engineering, security, research and healthcare. The newly introduced Srivari Vaidya Seva programme has reportedly attracted more than 700 doctors, who are contributing to medical services at institutions such as SVIMS and BIRRD. Separately, the Sri Venkateswara Museum in Tirumala showcases the region’s rich religious and historical heritage through rare sculptures, bronze idols, ancient coins, inscriptions, devotional artefacts and modern exhibits. The museum features 14 galleries across three floors and displays 1,735 selected objects from a collection of nearly 6,000 artefacts. Together, these initiatives reflect TTD’s efforts to combine spiritual devotion, voluntary service, healthcare and heritage preservation.