TIRUPATI: Tirupati continues to receive lakhs of pilgrims on their way to Tirumala throughout the year. Devotees leave soon after the darshan, as the city has been unable to provide visitors the wherewithal to become tourists and spend some more time in the city or its environs.

This happens mainly because Tirupati lacks structured cultural, recreational, and leisure options that can make devotees spend additional time and increase economic activity. Currently, spending of visitors is limited to accommodation and food services.

Officials of the Tourism department accept this limitation. “There is a clear lack of attractions that can retain pilgrims for an extra day or two,” a senior official admitted.

A proposal had been made to expand Tirupati Shilparamam to address this gap. The Telugu Desam government between 2014 and 2019 had prepared a detailed master plan aimed at developing the Shilparamam into a cultural and tourism hub. The ₹188-crore plan included an arts and crafts village, water and amusement zones, light and sound arena, restaurants, guest rooms with spa facilities, and a convention centre. The project did not move forward.

The subsequent YSRC government issued a G.O. in 2021 offering incentives to a private firm to set up a five-star hotel and convention centre at the Shilparamam premises at an investment of ₹204 crore. The 225-room hotel and 1,500-seating-capacity convention centre had been aimed at improving visitors’ stay. But this too remained on paper.

The only alternative Shilparamam, as it exists, continues to operate in a limited manner, hosting periodic cultural programmes that draw local crowds but fall short of scale to lure visitors. Residents say there has been little change over the years at Shilparamam. “People visit it during events and holidays. But the place has remained almost the same for years. There has been no major development or new attraction,” a regular visitor said.

Observers point out that several pilgrimage cities in India have developed supporting infrastructure to retain visitors. But Tirupati has not seen a similar push.