Elaborate arrangements for Rathasaptami

Tirumala: After successfully organising Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam for 10 days providing darshan to over six lakh pilgrims, TTD is gearing up for yet another important fete, Rathasapthami on January 28.

Speaking to media persons after the monthly Dial your EO programme in Tirumala on Friday, TTD EO A V Dharma Reddy said the processional deity Sri Malayappa Swamy will bless devotees on seven vahanas in the Mada streets. The Vahanams include Surya Prabha, Chinna Sesha, Garuda, Hanumanta, Kalpa Vruksha, Sarva Bhupala and Chandra Prabha. In between Chakrasnanam will be held after four Vahanams in the morning.

The EO said TTD will conduct Goda Kalyanam in the Parade Grounds of TTD Administrative Building in Tirupati on January 15.

Following the Trust Board approval, he said TTD in principle agreed to construct Sri Venkateswara temple in Karimnagar, for which the Telangana government consented to provide the required land for the shrine. The temple will be constructed with the funds from SRIVANI and donations from the devotees, he said.

In the media meet, the EO asserted that there is no commercial motive behind hiking the rental of 172 rooms in MBC area, including Narayanagiri, SV Guest House, Special Type Cottages and VVC and there is not even an iota of truth behind the allegations of the opposition party leaders and a section of media making an unnecessary hue and cry on the increase which is need based and responding to the requests of the devotees.

Elaborating, Dharma Reddy said that TTD is allotting most of these 172 rooms to pilgrims under VIP category after all the accommodation in Padmavathi Guest House area where economically rich and VIPs provided accommodation were full, to cope with the demand from VIPs. It was they who suggested refurbishing these rooms to make it well furnished and added facilities to make them on par with Padmavathi Guest House area rooms he said explaining the reason behind the hike in rental which he said no way affect common pilgrims as it was the VIPs to whom they are being allotted.

Ironically, he said the same political leaders opposing the hike in the name of common pilgrims, always seek allotment of rooms to them or to their men they recommend in these (VIP) areas. If they are true to their words, claiming champion of common pilgrims, they should stay in PACs (Pilgrim Amenities Complex) meant for common pilgrims and not in VIPs area and avail SSD tokens for darshan he said. Not sparing the media, he said it was the same media that made allegations on TTD on the rental issue, pressuring them daily for good accommodation for their officials. He urged the critics to eschew making baseless allegations against TTD as it would mar the image of it which in turn put Tirumala, the spiritual capital of Hindus world over in bad light.