In Pics: Railways to unveil ‘5-star’ lounge at Tirupati

New Delhi: Indian Railways is all set to provide a 5-star experience to passengers travelling to the Balaji Temple with a premium lounge at the Tirupati railway station. The first glimpse of the ‘Atithi’ lounge was shared by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. Sharing the pictures on his Facebook page and Twitter handle. Goyal wrote, “Railway station or 5-star hotel? There is a surprise in store for devotees travelling to Balaji Temple, with ‘Atithi’, a premium lounge at Tirupati station, set to be inaugurated soon.”

The pictures show a lounge with premium facilities for passengers. Photos of the Balaji Tirupati can also be seen on the walls of the hall.

Last week, Goyal through his tweet shared the futuristic plans for the Tirupati railway station. The nearly 2-minute-long video shows a drop-off area, a block for a hotel, a proposed multiplex, a spacious plaza and a waiting area, enhanced security checking facilities(,) and a food court. While sharing the plan Goyal said: “Om Sreenivasaya Namaha: Travel will soon become easier for devotees seeking Lord Balaji’s blessings in Tirupati. Check the futuristic plans for Tirupati station, which will serve as a benchmark for other stations across the country.”

The Balaji temple of Lord Venkateswara, in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati, is visited by lakhs of devotees round the year. The holy site witnessed an estimated 1.5 lakh devotees last month, on the occasion of “Vaikunta Ekadasi” festival, according to a PTI report.