TIRUPATI : As part of its plan to spread the glory of Lord Venkateswara beyond the frontiers, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is planning to perform the celestial wedding of the Lord in the United States of America.

The venue of the grand gala event has not been fixed as yet, but is most likely to be conducted in June/July 2007. The sacred event, hitherto performed only inside the temple, has already been extended to major cities and towns in the country and the announcement is viewed only a `logical step' in the right direction.

TTD chairman B.Karunakar Reddy, who returned from the USA after taking part in in a ceremony at Venkateswara Temple in Novi, Michigan, spoke to the media here on Tuesday on the deep sense of devotion of the non-resident Telugus have towards the Lord.

He said, he had agreed on behalf of the TTD to the devotees' appeal to perform `Srinivasa Kalyanam' with all

administrative and logistical support from them. "The custodian of a Venkateswara temple in Kenya had also made a similar plea", he noted and added that the TTD had no objection in taking the event elsewhere too if similar representations came from other countries.

Idol for US temple

Mr.Reddy announced that a 7 ft tall stone idol of Lord Venkateswara, to be sculpted at the TTD-run Institute of Traditional Sculpture and Architecture, would be provided to the temple. He said he had also promised to the organisers to make available TTD publications, audio/video cassettes and CDs at the temple premises to promote Sri Venkateswara cult in a big way.

Mr.Reddy explained that he dispelled misconceptions among the devotees on the rumours on proselytisation on Tirumala.

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