Protecting sanctity and improving facilities at Tirumala is our priority: TTD chairman

In his maiden media briefing, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman B.R. Naidu on Wednesday emphasised the new board’s commitment to safeguarding the sanctity of the temple of Lord Venkateswara and upgrading the facilities for pilgrims. Acknowledging the challenges ahead for the new board, he expressed confidence in overcoming them through cooperation.

He said that incidents of proselytisation atop the hill temple will be dealt with sternly and added that the new board also will examine the legal aspects, if any, surrounding the issue.

Regarding the much speculated scrapping of SriVani darshan tickets, he said several misconceptions were doing the rounds about misuse of temple funds and noted that the State Vigilance Department is already investigating the issue. Once the report is released, the board will discuss the future course of action. Moreover, all important decisions pertaining to the hill temple will be brought to the notice of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, he said.

He said the new board will also discuss facilitating seamless darshan for pilgrims. Currently, 80,000 to 90,000 devotees can be provided with daily darshan of the deity.

He also lauded the TTD officials for the successful conduct of the annual Brahmotsavams, which, he said, was incident-free and concluded on a spiritual note.

Published - November 06, 2024 08:07 pm IST