Sri Tirupati Balaji Temple's Replica Constructed in Guntur

GUNTUR: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam has constructed a replica of the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) temple on the police grounds to give an opportunity to local devotees to participate in all rituals performed regularly at Tirumala, a temple official said here today.

This replica temple would be opened to the people on April 10 and it would continue until April 18, Tirumala Tirupati Temple's Executive Officer D Samba Siva Rao said in a press release issued here.

Devotees may visit the replica temple on all days from 6.30 am to 9 pm, he stated in the release.

The release stated that Sri Venkateswara publicity chariots have been making rounds in the entire Guntur district to inform devotees about facilities available.

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Annadana in Tirumala completes 3 decades

The Annadana scheme of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTDs), which was started on April 6, 1985, completes three decades on Monday. 

The scheme was started by then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Late N T Rama Rao. However, it was Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba, the great saint poetess who pioneered the concept in 18th century. 

As per temple legend, on the divine instructions of Goddess Padamavathi Devi, the then in-charge of Hathiramji Mutt, Mahant Sri Atmaramdasji offered a small thatched hut in the present Rambhageecha gardens to Vengamamba. 

The saint poetess used to serve scores of pilgrims who visit Tirumala at her residence for days. Following her legacy, TTD has begun Annadana scheme in 1985. In the initial days, food was being served to just 2,000 pilgrims on a day. But today, it has increased by many folds and on an average every day not less than 60,000 pilgrims are relishing the “Annaprasadam” in the abode of Lord Venkateswara.

Another interesting feature is the mammoth Annaprasadam Complex, which was inaugurated in 2011 on July 7, by the then president Pratibha Patil, was constructed in the area where Tarigonda Vengamamba's thatched roof hut existed.

Hence, the massive Rs 33-crore complex was named in honour of her as “Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasadam Complex” (MTVAC).

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Tirumala Lost 6.6 Lakh Devotees, Rs 20-crore Revenue Last Year

TIRUMALA: The income of TTD, through the sale of Darshan, Sheegra Darshan and Break Darshan tickets has dropped by Rs 20 crore. Last year, it was Rs 190 crore and now it was reduced to Rs 170 crore.

According to an official release, the TTD Specified Authority approved Rs 2,530.10 crore budget for 2015-16. Income from sale of human hair also decreased by Rs 20 crore.

It is said the drop of Rs 20 crore in darshan ticket sales was due to the new policy.

This loss also reflected in the revenue from sale of human hair. Last year it was Rs 220 crore, and now it is only Rs 200 crore. From this it is deduced that at least 6.6 lakh less number of devotees had darshan of the Lord.

The TTD estimates Rs 215 crore income for in the coming year through the sale of various darshan tickets, reportedly by increasing the rates of darshan tickets or reintroducing current booking of Rs 300 Sheeghra Darshan at Tirumala also in Tirupati.

The TTD, in the new budget, allocated Rs 150 crore for new projects and Rs 63 crore for maintenance.

The Specified Authority also allotted Rs 50 lakh for archaka welfare.

Along with this, the Specified Authority has resolved to earmark Rs 50 crore for the new fund proposed by the Government of AP recently for the salaries of dharmik staff like archakas, bhajantries and paricharakas, working in small temples at various places in the state, which are more than 20,000 in number.

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State hands over control of Gali Gopuram to TTD

TIRUPATI, April 1, 2015

For those visiting Tirumala, Gali Gopuram is a monument that is hard to miss. The huge tower on the trekking route, with the illuminated ‘Namam, Sankhu and Chakram’, is a major landmark that is even visible from Tirupati downhill.

The State government has formally handed the control of the Gopuram, its vicinity and 183 acres of landed property from Gali Gopuram Mutt (alias Vaikunta Koil) to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). It was hitherto managed by the Endowments department.

The Mutt was founded in the 15th century by Mahants, who are North Indian Vaishnavas belonging to Ramananda cult, with the objective of providing food and accommodation to the Sadhus and Bairagis visiting Tirumala from far-off places.

The last Mahant Ramcharandoss was accused of alienating Mutt lands and was placed under suspension by the Endowments Department in the mid-eighties.

Though he died in a car accident in late nineties, the mutt remained headless since then.

Security threat

For administrative convenience, the Assistant Commissioner of Endowments and Executive Officer of Sri Bugga Mutt was made its Fit-person. The TTD has been seeking control over Gali Gopuram Mutt, as the lack of it over this strategically-located stretch on the Tirumala route has been posing security threat in the form of bootlegging of products not permitted on the hills.

Though the TTD is expected to improve the Mutt’s management without touching its age-old rituals and practices, the takeover has nevertheless brought curtains on the 600-year-old religious entity.

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TTD hair sale set to rake in 200 cr

Tirupati: Concerned with the unsold stocks of human hair piled up at the TTD godowns, the temple administration has begun exploring several options to dispose of the unsold stocks to ensure that it manages to reach the targeted revenue during this financial year. The budget estimates of the TTD with regard to the sale of human hair have been steadily going up in the last four years.

 

But according to the temple administration the revenues from selling the hair have stuck at Rs 200 crore mark for past one year. Though the TTD estimated to earn around Rs 220 crore through the sale of human hair in 2014-15 financial year it did not cross Rs 200 crore.Sources say that one of the reasons for downward trend in the sale of human hair is the fall in quality of hair. The growing use of hair colors was also adversely affecting the quality of hair. 

As a result while some varieties were completely sold out, certain variety of hair stocks have remained unsold. The TTD estimated that a total of Rs 145 crore revenue were earned through the sale of human hair during 2012-13, the estimated revenues were pegged at Rs185 crore in 2013-14, Rs 220 crore in 2014-15 and Rs 200 crore for financial year, 2015-16. Faced with this situation the temple administration has started monthly auctions from March in place of quarterly e-auctions this year.

It may be mentioned here that giving away human hair is one of the most popular vows at the Tirumala hill shrine as millions of visiting devotees offer their hair in fulfillment of wishes. TTD segregates the human hair into six categories going by the length and texture of the human hair before going into e-auction. 

While the first variety hair is above 31 inches in length, the second variety is between 16-30 inches, the third variety between 10-15 inches, the fourth variety between 5-9 inches and the fifth variety less than five inches length. Grey hair or white hair is the sixth variety.

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Governors pray at Tirumala temple

Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah and his Maharashtra counterpart Ch. Vidya Sagar Rao on Monday offered prayers at the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala. Mr. Rosaiah, along with his family, visited the temple in the morning during the VIP break darshan, while Mr. Vidya Sagar Rao offered prayers in the afternoon. The authorities extended them a warm reception on their arrival at the main temple complex and presented them laddu prasadam and mementos of the presiding deity, following Vedasirvachanams by the temple priests.

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Tirumala temple to be closed on April 4

The sacred hill temple of Lord Venkateswara will remain closed for over 11 hours on April 4 in connection with lunar eclipse.

As the eclipse will occur between 3.45 pm and 7.15 pm the temple will remain closed from 9.30 am (six hours in advance) and will be reopened only at 8 pm after the conclusion of the eclipse.

With the eclipse also coinciding with the final day of the annual Vasantotsavams, the TTD besides advancing the conduct of Snapana Thriumanjanam, cancelled all kinds of day time rituals being performed inside the hill temple.

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Asthanam Marks Srirama Navami at Tirumala Temple

Devotees make an offering to the idols of Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman on the occasion of Sri Rama Navami at Besant Road in Vijayawada on Saturday | Express Photo

TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) conducted the religious event of ‘Srirama Navami Asthanam’ at Lord Venkateswara temple here on Saturday on the occasion of Srirama Navami.

The Temple priests offered ‘Snapana Tirumanjanam’ to the processional idols of Lords Sri Rama and Lakshmana and Anjaneya Swamy and Goddess Sita at the Ranaganayakula Mandapam inside Sri Vari temple in the morning.

Legend has it that Lord Sri Maha Vishnu had taken birth on the earth as a human being (Lord Sri Rama) to annihilate the demons in Tretayuga. Lord Sri Rama was his seventh incarnation and known for His steadfast adherence to Dharma. He is considered to have been an embodiment of truth and morality by being an ideal son, ideal husband, and above all, an ideal king. Because of all these qualities, Lord Sri Rama is revered and worshipped even today by all the Hindus spread across the globe.

On the important festival day, the processional idols of Lord Sri Rama and Lakshmana and Goddess Sita were taken out in a procession in the four Mada Streets on ‘Hanumanta Vahanam’. Later, on their return to the temple, the temple priests performed special rituals. The pundits read out “Sri Rama Jananam” in Sri Rama Navami Asthanam, near the Bangaru Vakili, around 10 pm.

The TTD cancelled the ‘Vasanthotsavam’ and ‘Sahasra Deepalankarana Sevas’ on the Ramanavami day and cancelled the ‘Vasanthotsavam seva’ even on Sri Rama Pattabhishekam day.

TTD Deputy EO (Temple) Chinnamgari Ramana, Peishkar R Selvam, Potu Peishkar Kesava Raju and others took part in the celebrations.

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Tirumala Annadanam Canteens in for Makeover

TIRUMALA: The TTD has decided to modernize the Annadanam Canteen, which serves food to 55,000 pilgrims every day on an average, according to sources.

They told Express here on Monday that the decision was taken at a recent meeting at TTD executive officer D Sambasiva Rao’s Camp Office here.

The sources said that as part of the canteen modernization, the mode of transport of food from the main canteen to the Vaikuntam Queue and Amenities Complexes would be changed.

The mode of supply of tea and coffee and particularly milk to children and the aged would also be changed. Presently, the supply of milk was done manually and was provided to the pilgrims in glasses. Now it was proposed to supply the milk through exclusive pipes and make the entire distribution system hygienic, they said.

The sources further said that at the meeting, the EO had sanctioned two air-conditioned container cargos to the canteen to transport vegetables and leafy vegetables from Koyambedu Veg market in Chennai and Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu and Bangalore and other places to Tirumala. These were the places where the donors pooled their vegetables to donate the TTD. As of now, TTD-owned lorries were bringing the vegetables to Tirumala from these places. On an average, the donors were offering 150 tonnes to 200 tonnes of vegetables every month.

All these vegetables would soon be transported in temperature-controlled containers to preserve their freshness, they added. The sources said that the EO had also sanctioned an exclusive air-conditioned storage complex to the canteen in Tirupati to preserve the vegetables till they were consumed.

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TTD Summer Camp Big Draw with Students

24th March 2015 

VIJAYAPURA: Yet again, students of different schools in Krishna district are eager to join the unique summer camp ‘Subhapradam’ of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), being held every summer for the last three years.

Subhapradam is very different from an average summer camp, as it is not aimed at a certain sports activity or an extracurricular activity for which one has to pay a lot from their pockets. For one, it is completely free and residential in nature. Next, it is aimed at an overall personality development of the student, be it a boy or girl, so they could become good citizens and emerge as vital cogs in the development machine of the country.

The objective of the 9-day programme, which will commence on May 11 and continue till May 20, is to inculcate moral and ethical values through various examples from mythology, history and life and deeds of eminent personalities from different spheres of life. “We aim to have the students moored to Indian culture and traditions and the programme is designed accordingly,” says Nagalingam Sivaji, TTD Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad zonal coordinator.

According to him, the programme is not a religious one but aims at personality development to help the students do well in studies and also improve their confidence levels and most importantly to motivate them to lead a meaningful life.

“It had helped me a lot and I feel myself a changed person after attending the programme last year. I decided to attend the programme again this year,” B Naveen Kumar, a class 9 student of Vani School. 

Year after year the number of students attending the programme is increasing. Last year the number was 1,000 and this year applications received till date had reached 2,000 and the number is expected to go up by April 10, the last day for submission of applications. Awareness programmes about the camp was conducted in 200 schools.

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