Chelikani Anna Rao, who served as the Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and later as the Chairman of its trust board, was remembered on his 111th birth anniversary here on Sunday.
Denizens comprising his admirers, followers and retired employees garlanded his statue on Kapila Theertham Road and recalled his services in shaping the TTD and also in envisioning a planned development of Tirupati. Having joined the TTD in 1933, he served as its Executive Officer during 1949-64 and as Chairman during 1974-78.
After his retirement, he was made the advisor to Karnataka government on temples and endowments. The Orissa government took his guidance in the management of the Puri Jagannath temple. Similarly, the Jammu & Kashmir government took his advice for the smooth administration of the Mata Vaishnodevi temple. Anna Rao was the first to introduce Harijan entry into the TTD temples during his stint, recalled R.V. Jagga Rao, retired chief engineer of the TTD. He was also instrumental in the establishment of SV University, Sri Padmavathi Women’s College among others.
