Tirumala: TTD to frame guidelines for taking over temples

Tirumala: The TTD Trust Board on Saturday resolved to frame guidelines for taking over the temples under its maintenance.

The Board took many important decisions including evolving guidelines for taking over the temples in an effort to ensure only historic and archaeological important shrines direly need protection be brought under TTD control to save them to preserve our heritage.

It also decided to frame rules to provide financial assistance to temples that were brought under TTD, from SRIVANI Trust and also apply uniform guidelines for leasing and construction of TTD Kalyana Mandapams located in various places in the country.

A proposal from Sri Padmavati temple of Tiruchanoor to launch Tulabhara seva on the lines of Srivari temple, Tirumala was also approved.

The Board endorsed a proposal to name all the six Veda Pathashalas run by TTD henceforth as Sri Venkateswara Veda Vijnana Peetham and hike the remuneration of Vedic teachers at all Pathashalas from existing Rs 22,000 to Rs 35,150, sanction Rs 9 crore towards electrical and civil works, approved to establish Sri Venkateswara Pediatric Hospital on the first floor of the old OPD Bhavan of BIRRD hospital and also tenders for Rs 3.75 crore towards extension of the 3rd floor in the new OPD Bhavan of the BIRRD hospital.

The other decisions taken in the meet include increasing the storage capacity of ghee used in preparation of TTD Prasadam and Anna Prasadam from 82.4 tonnes to 180.4 metric tonnes thereby enhancing the storage period from 6 days to 14 days, installing APSPDCL meters at all rest houses, cottages, choultries etc in Tirumala to ensure transparency in power consumption, produce 50 megawatts of the green power in Tirumala and conduct Covid vaccination to all its employees.

The board also given its nod to declare cow as national animal and will recommend the same to Centre.

Pournami Garuda Seva

The monthly Pournami Garuda Seva was held in Tirumala on Saturday with religious fervour.

Devotees thronged in large numbers to witness the procession of Sri Malayappa Swamy on the mighty Garuda Vahanam and blessed the devotees.

The vahana seva was held for two hours in the four Mada streets around the shrine from 7 in the evening.

Arjitha sevas from Ugadi

TTD Trust Board has also resolved to resume the Arjitha sevas with pilgrim participation from April 14 coinciding with Telugu New Year Ugadi.

TTD which suspended the Arjitha seva during the lockdown period, resumed it with Kalyanotsavam in August last year on virtual platform with no pilgrim participation after darshan resumed in June last year and later restarted many Arjitha sevas also on virtual platform only in October and November.

However, the devotees with Arjita Seva tickets should observe all Covid guidelines and produce Covid test, three days ahead of their Tirumala visit.

The board also decided to construct either a Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple or Bhajana Mandiram or Amenities Complex in Ayodhya, if the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Nirman Trust comes forward to allot land to TTD for the construction of any of the three constructions.