Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly making its mark across various sectors, and its application in temple management marks a significant advancement. The Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh, a major pilgrimage site, has become the first in India to implement an AI-powered Integrated Command Control Center (ICCC), focusing on crowd control and enhanced security.
The Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, located in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh, is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu. This temple is a highly frequented destination for pilgrims, experiencing massive crowds regularly. The new ICCC is designed to optimize the flow of devotees and ensure a seamless darshan experience.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the managing body of the temple, has introduced this ICCC in Tirumala. The initiative was inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, highlighting the commitment to technological advancement in temple operations.
The ICCC aims to transform the experience for millions of visitors by providing real-time crowd forecasting, improving queue management, bolstering security measures, and enhancing cyber threat monitoring.
Located within the Vaikuntham Queue Complex-I, the ICCC leverages cutting-edge technology, including sophisticated cameras, 3D situational mapping, and a dedicated technical team for continuous monitoring. This setup is poised to set a national standard for technologically advanced pilgrimage management, providing efficient services for devotees and improved coordination for temple administrators.
The control room is equipped with over 6,000 AI-based cameras, high-performance computing systems, and real-time dashboards capable of monitoring immense data. The system can track 518 million daily events and generate more than 2.5 billion predictive insights per day. This system has a processing capacity of 3.6 lakh payloads per minute. This capability ensures quick responses to on-the-ground incidents.
From predicting the waiting times for ‘Sarva Darshanam’ to visualizing crowd density in 3D, the ICCC enhances safety at India’s most visited pilgrimage site. Furthermore, the system includes cybersecurity measures to protect the temple’s systems and digital assets from risks such as misinformation and online attacks.
Key features include drone-assisted emergency response, tablet-based employee verification, and facial recognition technology for identifying missing individuals. These features further enhance safety and contribute to a streamlined experience for all visitors.
The ICCC employs a team of more than two dozen trained professionals who operate around the clock, monitoring integrated dashboards and coordinating with various temple departments. This allows for quick decision-making and real-time responsiveness.
The system’s scope extends beyond crowd and queue management, also focusing on safeguarding the TTD’s reputation and maintaining the efficient functioning of the temple. Its cyber monitoring capabilities, including protecting against misinformation and digital asset attacks, reflect the integration of digital methods in contemporary pilgrimage management.
This initiative is anticipated to set a new benchmark for temple administration across India. The Tirumala ICCC’s model could serve as an exemplar for other significant temples and religious gatherings throughout the country, streamlining crowd management, ensuring security, and addressing digital challenges.
By integrating AI, machine learning, digital twins, and cloud-backed resilience, the Tirumala ICCC is viewed as a groundbreaking step forward for India’s spiritual tourism infrastructure, providing enhanced security, transparency, and efficiency.
The conception of the ICCC stemmed from Andhra Pradesh’s Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh’s visit to Silicon Valley in October 2024, where he engaged with startups focused on smart cities, digital twins, AI, and cybersecurity. These interactions inspired the project.
Drawing from these global best practices, Lokesh collaborated with Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to implement scalable, secure, and service-oriented technologies in Tirumala, under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.