HYDERABAD: The protest of devotees against the decision of the Endowments Department to take over Sri Balaji Temple, Chilkur, has gone hi-tech.

The number of signatures on the online campaign is increasing every minute with devotees from India and abroad responding to the online petition placed on the net through the website protectchilukurbala

jitemple.com.

Website launched

The website, launched by a devotee Kishore, describes the unique feature of Chilkur temple as the only temple which does not have a hundi or tickets for performing puja.

The movement is for preserving the atmosphere of devotion that prevails in the temple and to protest against all moves of the Endowments Department to commercialise it, the website says appealing to devotees to join the movement being spearheaded by temple hereditary chief priest Soundara Rajan and thousands of devotees against the move to take over the temple by the Endowments Department.

The online campaign titled `Protect Chilkur Balaji Temple from Endowments Department' seem to have opened a new channel to devotees to pledge their support and endorse the online petition to be submitted to President of India, Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Leader of Opposition, Lok Sabha, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Justice of High Court.

The online petition also says the Endowments Department is misleading the Government as well as public by citing the High Court order. The order has given three months time for the Government to decide whether to appoint a Trust Board or not. "The 500-year old temple, which stood up against the commercial exploitation of devotees in the name of `darshan', `archana' and sale of `prasadam' is today facing a very difficult situation."

The petition also says the Endowments Department is misleading the Government as well as the public saying that the High Court order is against the present management. "In fact, the order has given three months time to the Government to decide whether to appoint a trust board or not. If a trust board is appointed on March 12, 2006, this temple will also go the way of other temples and become commercially exploited," it says.

The online endorsements evoked response from 34,067 devotees, 20,947 from India and the rest from the US, Canada, UK, Hong Kong etc.

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