Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has put out several precautions to pilgrims who wish to visit Lord Venkataswaraswamy on foot, in the wake of the high number of heart-related cases among the devotees walking to Tirumala.
Who can and cannot make their journey on foot?
TTD says that it is not recommended for elderly people over 60 years old, those with diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, epilepsy and joint diseases to walk to Tirumala on foot.
It is not recommended for devotees suffering from obesity and people with heart related diseases to walk.
As Tirumala hill is high above the sea level and the oxygen level is low, walking can aggravate heart related diseases and asthma, TTD said.
TTD advises that if devotees who come on foot face any problems, they can seek medical help at the 1500 step of the Alipiri trail, near the Gali Gopuram.
24×7 medical facility can be availed in Ashwini hospital and other hospitals in Tirumala. Dialysis facility is available at Swims Hospital in Tirupati in case of emergency for chronic kidney disease patients.
TTD appeals to the devotees who want to come to Tirumala on foot to follow the instructions and cooperate.
Three hotels in Tirupati gets hoax bomb threat:
In a separate incident, three hotels in Tirupati received bomb threats on email and after police investigation, the threats turned out to be a hoax. Tirupati Police said that they would soon identify the culprits.
