On Tuesday, Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala will witness the inauguration of a very modern queue complex named “Sri Saanidhya” by the Vice-President.
The complex, intended to improve waiting for devotees, is a product of the foresight of Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade who desired an additional facility at the temple for better management of the visiting pilgrims.
The queue system was instituted decades ago to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted darshan of Sri Manjunatha Swamy.
However, with the ever-growing number of devotees from different parts of the country, especially during the peak seasons, it has become quite impossible to avoid long waiting hours at the temple. There were some basic amenities such as drinking water and eateries for waiting devotees, which Heggade wanted-for pilgrims waiting during busy times-more comfortable and organised experiences.
The new complex boasts a total floor area of 275,177 square feet distributed over three floors and consisting of 16 halls, each capable of comfortably hosting between 600 and 800 devotees at a time. Additional infrastructural features combined with these will allow a cumulative holding capacity of up to 12,000 devotees. The facility offers modern amenities including air-conditioned halls, advanced temperature control technology, childcare rooms, drinking water stations, and cafeterias. This complex gives information and entertainment systems, including digital TVs and audio systems to engage the visitors while they wait.
A significant feature of this ‘queue complex’ is the introduction of a Queue Management System (QMS), a first ever for Dharmasthala. The system integrates advanced AI-based camera surveillance that monitors and controls the flow of pilgrims utilising the entire complex.
The number of people entering and exiting the complex is captured by the QMS software and mapped to halls available for use by devotees. Thus ensuring that visitors stream into appropriate halls at scheduled times for darshan without logjams and delays in the overall process.
The new complex promises to be a game-changer in the pilgrim experience, specifically in terms of better organisation and decreased waiting times. It has already been a revered pilgrim destination for many, with the tempering of its further influx being the newest in these efforts, which include enhancing its infrastructural and service delivery to devotees.
Indeed, the modernised queue system in the shrine would heighten the experience of even further thousands desiring to seek darshan of Sri Manjunatha Swamy.
And for this important occasion, several eminent personalities are invited to grace the event; marking yet another achievement in the continuing modernisation of Dharmasthala-it has become a haven of innovative temple services for devotees.
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