US-based devotee donates ancient artefacts to TTD SV Museum

Tirumala: A devotee from the US, Vinjamuri Sandhya on Thursday donated ancient artefacts worth lakhs of rupees to the TTD SV Museum. She met TTD Executive Officer A V Dharma Reddy and handed over the artefacts, which were the proud possession of her family.

The artefacts included musical instruments like Tambura, Veena besides Panchaloha idol of Nammalwar, one of the 12 Alvar saints of Tamil Nadu, who contributed immensely for the promotion of Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, miniature Bhagavad Gita, Silver framed portraits of Sri Venkateswara Swami and Sri Padmavathi Ammavaru, artefacts made in ivory etc.

Sandhya happens to be the granddaughter of the prominent Carnatic Music exponent Dr Vinjamuri Varadaraja Iyengar, who was a scholar in Sanskrit and a vocalist and composer.

He was awarded the Gana Kalanidhi, Gayaka Ratna, Sangeetha Jyothi, Sangeeta Ratnaakara etc. title for his outstanding contribution to Carnatic music.

Iyengar was a contemporary of exponents like MS Subbulakshmi, Veturi Prabhakar Shastri and Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma, who all participated in the Annamacharya festivities for popularising Annamayya Keerthanas, most of which eulogised Lord Venkateswara.

TTD Museum Officer Dr Krishna Reddi was also present.