Tirupati : The Andhra Pradesh government is setting a global example by modernising temple administration while preserving spiritual traditions through technology-driven initiatives like WhatsApp-based services and drone surveillance, said Minister for HRD, IT and Electronics Nara Lokesh.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the International Temples Convention & Expo (ITCX) 2025 in Tirupati’s Asha Convention Centre, he highlighted the launch of the Venkateswara Nitya Annadanam scheme at Tirumala on April 6, 1985, with an initial corpus of Rs 1 crore by former Chief Minister NTR, serving 2,000 pilgrims daily.

Currently, the scheme serves 1,59,500 meals on regular days and 2,05,000 meals on weekends, and the corpus fund has grown to Rs 2,000 crore.

Similarly, the Pranadana Trust, established by Chandrababu Naidu in November 2001, provides extensive healthcare services, including outpatient and inpatient treatments, surgeries and medicines. With Rs 440 crore funding, the Trust has supported 1,80,466 patients through 588 rural medical camps, 1,38,066 patients via 212 epilepsy clinics and 57,610 patients through specialised clinics, including cancer surgeries for 8,500 patients.

Lokesh recalled that AP has emerged as a leader in spiritual tourism, attracting 36 million to 40 million pilgrims annually to the TTD. The State houses 27,105 temples and remains committed to temple conservation, modernisation and enhancing devotees’ faith. With India’s temple economy valued at Rs 5 lakh crore to Rs 6 lakh crore, ITCX aims to create a global community for economic and social temple enrichment while promoting the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family).

The State is integrating WhatsApp services to simplify temple entry, ticket bookings and rituals, eliminating long queues and enhancing convenience for devotees. Additionally, drone surveillance is being deployed for crowd management and security, ensuring swift responses during large religious gatherings like Brahmotsavams.

Lokesh emphasised that Hinduism teaches ‘Manava Seva is Madhava Seva’ (service to humanity is service to God), urging communities to preserve traditions by educating children about Indian mythology rather than Western superheroes.

He added that in the past seven months, the State government has sanctioned Rs 134 crore for the development and renovation of 73 temples.

With mechanised sanitation, IVRS-based feedback mechanisms and a commitment to holistic temple management, ITCX 2025 stands as a vital platform for shaping the future of temple administration globally.