Former chief priest of the Tirumala temple Ramana Deekshitulu on Sunday fired fresh salvos at the Andhra Pradesh government and the TTD Board, particularly asking why the temple kitchen (potu) was closed for 25 days against the “Aagama Shastra” provisions when the intention was to remove only four boulders, as being claimed, from the ancient construction. Expressing his displeasure at the TTD Board/State Government’s act of closing the sacred kitchen and taking up “repairs” there without consulting anybody having authentic knowledge of the Shastra or taking necessary permission, Mr. Deekshitulu said offering “unholy prasadam” prepared outside the potu to the deity was a great sin.
Addressing a press conference here, he said the temple kitchen was constructed in about 1,150 AD in the first periphery (“praakaaram”) around the main temple and it was in perfect condition. However, the potu in “paakashala” was closed for 25 days to remove some stone bricks from the wall and also some boulders from the floor in the name of repairs. He sought to know what was there beneath the boulders of archaeological treasure (potu) and how preparation of “prasadam” outside the potu was justified. On the statement of the TTD Board that a pink diamond adorned to the deity had been damaged due to coins thrown from a distance by devotees, Mr. Deekshitulu said it was completely wrong as diamond would not be so weak. He said a similar diamond was auctioned in Geneva recently for a huge sum and there were allegations that it was the one from the temple.
