TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to spend Rs.10 crore through the Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) towards beautification of the temple city, mainly landscaping and street-lighting the stretch between Renigunta airport and Kalur crossroads.
A resolution made by the TTD at its trust board meeting held at Tirumala on Tuesday indicates its willingness to spend from its coffers for providing a pleasant ambience to devotees.
Speaking to the media, TTD Chairman Chadalawada Krishnamurthy announced that beautifying the highway stretch with lighting and sculpture would provide a spiritual atmosphere on Chennai, Vijayawada and Bengaluru routes. “We cannot view Tirumala and Tirupati separately and hence the TTD's spending on Tirupati cannot be wished away,” he maintained.
Vaikunta Ekadasi
Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao announced that top priority would be accorded to the common man while making darshan arrangements for the ensuing Vaikunta Ekadasi and New Year's Day. Vaikunta Ekadasi darshan will start at 4 a.m. on January 8. Unlike in the past, when entry was allowed only on the auspicious day, the TTD plans to let the early birds into the queue line from January 7 itself and make arrangements to keep them comfortable so as to avoid pushing and jostling. “The queue line in Narayanagiri garden will get a facelift, while bhajans by Dasa Sahitya project artistes will create a spiritual ambience,” Mr. Rao said.
The board sanctioned Rs.2.04 crore for reconstruction of Sri Padmavathi Sametha Sri Venkateswara temple in Pithapuram (East Godavari district). It decided to get estimates prepared for the works pertaining to construction of steps and fencing for the temple of Vakulamatha, believed to be the foster mother of Sri Venkateswara, at Perur on the outskirts of Tirupati. A sum of Rs.4.74 crore has been sanctioned to construct six cattlesheds at its Palamaner cattle farm.
Meanwhile, devotees Babu Lokanath and Jayashri Babu offered to donate their J.P. Nagar house in Bengaluru worth Rs.57.33 lakh to the TTD, while Sukanya donated 6.22 acres of land in Ramakuppam mandal (Chittoor district) worth Rs.74.90 lakh to Lord Venkateswara, which the TTD resolved to accept. It was also decided to seek the government's approval for creating 447 Archaka and Paricharaka posts in its temples, especially the ones that were taken over recently.
Endowments commissioner Anuradha, trust board members Kolla Lalitha Kumari, P. Anantha Lakshmi, D. Sreebala Veeranjaneya, Krishnamurthy, Putta Sudhakar Yadav, A.V. Ramana, P. Hariprasad, Suchitra Ella, Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, K. Raghavendra Rao, G. Bhanuprakash Reddy, A. Narsa Reddy and C. Ramachandra Reddy took part.
