SVBC receives Rs 60 cr donations, turns self-sufficient

Tirupati : Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel (SVBC), the satellite channel floated by TTD, had so far received donations to the tune of Rs 60 crore, including Rs 46 crore donation to the SVBC trust and the remaining as equipment making it almost self-sufficient, according to TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy.

Reddy in his informal chat with local media during a get together held after the extension of his deputation period for two more years to work in TTD, in Tirumala on Monday said the TTD set up SVBC trust July 2020 to see the channel financially self-sufficient to carry Sanathana Dharma Prachara programmes with renewed vigour.

With the state-of-the-art equipment, launching SVBC Hindi and Kannada coupled with live telecast of the Parayanams, mass chanting of slokas during the difficult Covid pandemic period, including the popular Sundarakanda Parayanam from Valmiki Ramayananm and other series of Parayanams catapulted the SVBC into one of the leading devotional channels. The series of Parayanams telecast live in SVBC helped boost up the spiritual morale of the devotees and also saw viewers base of the TTD channel spread worldwide in a big way.

Dharma Reddy said that in the coming days, more and more Parayanam programmes will follow to promote Sanathana Dharma reinforcing Hindu faith among devotees.

The EO took the occasion to explain the temple management's efforts to provide darshan to more than 70000 devotees daily through various measures like restricting VIP breaks, suspending some of the weekly Arjitha sevas, etc., to cope with the summer rush.

In this connection, Dharma Reddy urged the local media to be restrained in reporting minor lapses as blowing it out of proportion not only hurt devotees' sentiments and also mar the image of the sacred Tirumala.

It is not only the responsibility of TTD to uphold the sanctity of Tirumala, respect the devotees sentiments but also of the local media in the interests of more than 20,000 working in TTD and also thousands depending on pilgrim flow in hospitality and private transport sector and also keeping in view the TTD's large-scale social service activities, he said.