The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TTD seeks YSR’s help in getting back civet cats

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TTD seeks YSR’s help in getting back civet cats

Special Correspondent

They were seized under the Wildlife Protection Act

TIRUPATI: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has set in motion the process to bring pressure on the Central and State forest and wildlife authorities to restore to it the ‘civet cats’ seized sometime ago from the TTD’s Dairy Farm.

The cats were seized on the ground that rearing them in captivity violated the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Civet (Punugu) is a normal physiological secretion from the sebaceous gland found near the anal pouch of the small Indian civet cat (Vivericula Indica).

Nocturnal animal

The civet cat, a nocturnal animal smears its secretion either on logs, trees or stones as a natural physiological process. The secretion is carefully scraped later and collected in small quantities for use in the temple of Lord Venkateswara during the Friday Abhishekam of the ‘Moolavirat’. The civet mixed with other aromatic ingredients such as sandalwood paste, saffron, refined camphor, ‘kasturi’ etc is applied to the granite idol. The civet according to temple priests and wildlife sources has miraculous properties of keeping the stone of the Moolavirat smooth, fresh and free from splits and cankers.

Preservation of idols

It is a scientific way of management and preservation of idols, says B. Karunakar Reddy, Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Tuesday sought his intervention in the matter. The TTD Chairman is expected to take up the matter personally with the Chief Minister.

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