Tirupati temple to use facial recognition technology to enhance the pilgrimage experience

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the revered Venkateswara temple, is setting to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and facial recognition technology

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the Venkateswara temple, is set to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and facial recognition technology to enhance the pilgrimage experience, an official said on Thursday.

TTD board has also approved the implementation of anti-drone technology around the temple.

TTD Executive Officer J Syamala Rao said these cutting-edge technologies will help verify genuine pilgrims, streamline the darshan process, and eliminate impersonation and fraudulent activities. The tech will also be used to improve accommodation systems, access control, and other temple operations.

"TTD has envisioned adopting the latest technological solutions available in the market, including Artificial Intelligence to improve the overall pilgrimage experience and provide the best service to the pilgrims," Rao said in a press release.

As part of this initiative, pilgrims will be issued time-slotted darshan tokens embedded with facial recognition data. The captured images will be cross-referenced with data from the previous 30 days, amounting to about 10 lakh images, to prevent duplicate bookings and serve more pilgrims efficiently.

"By implementing this solution, the token issue and verification process becomes quick and hassle-free while impersonation and fraudulent activities can be prevented," Rao added.

TTD is also considering deploying facial recognition to monitor and manage pilgrim flow in key areas such as queue lines, compartments, and inside the temple premises. AI-powered cameras will enable real-time facial detection and movement tracking.

"This solution leverages TTD management to exactly assess the probable darshan time expected for the pilgrims who are waiting, and also can assess the darshan time for pilgrims joining queue lines," the EO said.

Further, leveraging AI, TTT aims to notify pilgrims of expected darshan timings, helping them better plan their visits. The system will also allow officials to estimate darshan completion times across categories and identify operational gaps.

In addition, the EO said facial recognition would aid in tracking and identifying intruders across Tirumala.

Eventually, Rao said the temple board plans to extend facial recognition technology to cover all possible services offered by TTD.