Commercial LPG Supply Uncertainty Worries Tirupati Hospitality Sector

Sources said many establishments in the temple city currently have only enough LPG stock to last for a week. If stocks are not replenished soon, some restaurants may have to scale back or discontinue their services, or explore temporary alternatives to continue serving pilgrims visiting the temple town.

Tirupati’s hospitality sector plays an important role in supporting the daily flow of devotees traveling to Tirumala. The hilltop shrine and main city are home to hundreds of hotels, restaurants and fast-food joints serving pilgrims at all hours of the day, most of which rely entirely on LPG cylinders for cooking.

Tirupati city alone has more than 300 restaurants, fast-food joints and eateries, and most of them primarily cater to visiting devotees, industry representatives said. On an average day, approximately 80,000 to 90,000 pilgrims come to the city, making the availability of food services an important part of the pilgrim infrastructure.

Expressing concern over the reported disruption in LPG supply, members of Tirupati Hotels and Restaurants Association (THARA) submitted a representation to the district collector seeking intervention. Stating that thousands of hotels, roadside eateries and food vendors depend on LPG cylinders for their daily operations, the association urged the district administration to reconsider the reported move to curtail commercial LPG supply. They said any prolonged shortage could impact both the hospitality industry and food availability for devotees.

While a few larger restaurants can make do with alternatives such as electric cooking plants, cylinder gas and LPG storage banks, smaller and medium-sized eateries remain largely dependent on regular cylinder supplies. Due to uncertainty about availability, some have begun exploring alternative cooking arrangements. A few businesses are preparing to temporarily switch to firewood-based cooking or rely on electric kitchen equipment.

But restaurant owners say such alternatives are difficult to implement. “Cooking with firewood takes longer and requires additional manpower compared to LPG. We must start preparations at least two to three hours before to ensure food is ready on time,” said T. Nithin Chakravarthy, secretary, THARA.

Food providers also expressed concern over the gathering momentum of the wedding season in the temple city. Industry representatives said more than 2,000 weddings are planned in Tirupati and Tirumala from now until June. Large-scale catering for these events largely depends on commercial LPG cylinders.