Tirumala: Akshaya Patra for thousands of devotees

Tirumala: Foremost among the TTD pilgrim services is Annaprasadam, providing free food to the multitude of pilgrims visiting Tirumala for darshan of Lord Sri Venkateswara.

Annadanam was launched by the then Andhra Pradesh chief minister N T Rama Rao with the donation of Rs 10 lakh by a Chennai-based philanthropist businessman who also served as TTD Trust Board member and an ardent devotee of the Lord, L V Rammaiah in 1985, following widespread requests from all sections of people.

TTD set up a separate Sri Venkateswara Annaprasadam Trust (SVAT) to receive donations to meet the expenses for providing free food to devotees.

TTD provided a matching grant equivalent to the donation made by an individual or institution and the amount (including the matching grant by TTD) is deposited in the banks. The interest accrued utilized for Annaprasadam.

In the beginning, free meals tokens were issued to devotees after Srivari darshan in the shrine, in the sense free food was limited only to those who had darshan but later with the donations pouring in TTD started providing free food to all in Tirumala, dispensing the token system. The free meals which were provided daily to 2000 gradually increased to 15000 to 20000 and 100000 including to those in compartments in the queue complex and in the queue line outside the queue complex, waiting for darshan, since 2008.

Further, TTD also expanded the free food under SVAT on a massive scale to cover the patients in the government hospitals, students of TTD educational institutions and also pilgrim complexes in Tirupati, down the hills, with the donation to the trust pouring unendingly. Besides, added more facilities to cope with the growing number of pilgrims availing free food and also ensure convenience to them.

The donations which started as a trickle, gathered momentum, flowing in full strength leading to the donations reaching Rs 1502 crore. With the deposits annual interest amount becoming sufficient to meet the expenses, TTD in 2018 stopped its matching grant to the donations. A peep into Tirumala temple history reveals that Annadanam, providing free food to devotees particularly on special occasions like Brahmotsavams and other important religious occasions, was in vogue for a long time and was organised by religious institutions, individuals and charitable organisations.

Notable among them was Poetess Tarigonda Vengamamba who about 300 years back served food to devotees more so during Narasimha Jayanti celebration.

The temple management also on its part, for the benefit of pilgrims, introduced snacks, breakfast and lunch at nominal cost by setting up canteen in 1933 which later expanded to cover more pilgrims.

As a tribute to the stellar contribution of Vengamamba, the TTD has named the massive Rs 35 crore Annaprasada Bhavan after her as Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasadam Complex (MTVAC) which was opened in 2008.

With ultra-modern cooking systems and dining halls to accommodate 4,000 devotees at a time the MTVAC is serving Annaprasadam to 65,000 pilgrims every day and nearly one lakh pilgrims during festive days like Brahmotsavams, Ratha Sapthami, Vaikuntha Ekadasi, etc.,

Every day, 10-12 tonnes of rice and 7-8 tonne of vegetables are being utilised for free food scheme revealing the phenomenal growth in four decades, benefitting lakhs of devotees to whom TTD Annaprasadam turned an Akshaya Patra, an inexhaustible vessel feeding them at no cost.