TTD to expand QR-based footwear tracking across Tirumala

Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is set to expand the smart footwear tracking system at Tirumala after a successful six-month trial.Tirumala, which draws over 2.5 crore devotees annually, has long struggled with managing millions of pairs of footwear deposited before devotees enter queue lines or the four mada streets encircling the temple, where footwear is strictly prohibited.Because entry and exit routes to the temple are far apart and complex, devotees often forget the exact counter where they left their footwear. There were also instances of footwear getting swapped, leading to confusion.Taking serious note of the decades-old issue faced by devotees, TTD additional EO Ch Venkaiah Chowdary held a series of meetings with the TTD officials and external technology experts to arrive at an effective solution to the problem.The result was the launch of a QR code-based smart footwear tracking and management system for the first time at Tirumala, with the support of Coromandel International Limited, during the Srivari annual Brahmotsavams eve in Sep 2025.While the smart footwear tracking system at Tirumala was launched as a pilot project at high-pilgrimage congregation points, TTD successfully handled the deposit and delivery of 8.45 lakh pilgrim footwear over the last six months."Since the launch of this new initiative, devotees can seamlessly deposit their footwear, which is safely stored at the TTD's footwear deposit counters, and with the help of the QR code, devotees can easily reach the footwear counters and retrieve their footwear without going through any chaos like in the past," Chowdary asserted.Following positive feedback from devotees, the Tirupati trust has now decided to expand the smart footwear tracking system at all high-pilgrim-congregation points across Tirumala for the convenience of visiting devotees.