Naidu inaugurates pilgrim experience centre, SV museum in Tirumala; flags off 32 electric buses

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday inaugurated a Pilgrim Experience Centre at the Vaikuntham Queue Complex in Tirumala, offering devotees 3D videos of the daily kainkaryams and puja rituals performed for Lord Venkateswara, along with visuals highlighting the significance of the hill shrine.

Naidu, accompanied by Ministers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and Anagani Satyaprasad, also experienced a virtual reality-based darshan of Tirumala at the newly opened centre.

The Chief Minister subsequently flagged off 32 electric buses at Narayanagiri Circle, intended to ferry devotees around Tirumala. Of these, 25 buses were provided by Reliance Foundation and seven by Bharat Biotech. Reliance EV Mobility CEO Nitin Seth and Bharat Biotech Managing Director Suchitra Ella handed over charging stations to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) as part of the initiative. The Reliance contribution follows an announcement made by Reliance Executive Director Anant Ambani during his visit to Tirumala in June.

After the flag-off, Naidu travelled from Narayanagiri Circle to the SV Museum aboard one of the new electric buses, where he went on to inaugurate the facility and tour its exhibits.

The SV Museum traces the history and significance of Tirumala and Lord Venkateswara through a range of displays, including models of jewellery offered to the deity over the centuries — among them ornaments associated with Sri Krishnadevaraya — as well as 3D recreations of the crowns and ornaments worn by the deity. Naidu also viewed an AI-generated video depicting the wedding festivities of Lord Venkateswara, screened on a panoramic display.

Other exhibits at the museum include representations of temples and sculptures across the Tirumala hills, natural geographical formations in the region, and a 3D model of the seven hills meant to familiarise visitors with the shrine's layout. The museum also displays weapons once used by kings who visited Tirumala before renouncing worldly pursuits for spiritual life, as well as musical instruments associated with devotees, including saint-composer Annamacharya, who used them in devotional compositions praising Lord Venkateswara.

Naidu is on a two-day visit to Tirumala.