Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

TTD yet to arrive at a decision on ‘sevas’

TIRUMALA: TTD Executive Officer I.Y.R. Krishna Rao on Monday categorically made it clear that the management is yet to arrive at a final decision regarding any kind of alteration (change of venue) or cancellation in the performance of the weekly ‘sevas’ at the Venkateswara temple.

Here it may be mentioned that the TTD management with a view to allocate more ‘darshan’ hours to the common pilgrims mulled over the idea of either cancelling the weekly ‘sevas’ like ‘Vishesha puja’ on Mondays, ‘Astadalapadapadmaradhana seva’ (Tuesday ) ‘Sahasra Kalasabhishekam’ (Wedenesday) and ‘Thiruppavada’ on Thursday or shift them to other place and in the process also had constituted a four-member committee consisting of the TTD Executive Officer Krishna Rao, Principal secretary, Revenue (Endowments ) K.V.Ramanachary, Endowments Commissioner Sundar Kumar and the senior IAS officer P.V.R.K. Prasad Rao requesting them to submit a detailed a report exploring the possibilities within the ambit of the ‘Agama Sastras’ and temple tradition. It is learnt that the committee for time being is left with a second thought to leave the ‘sevas’ untouched with a slew of objections from the ‘Agama’ pundits. The ‘Agama’ pundits in their reports have reportedly strongly objected to the idea of either cancelling them or performing them outside the sanctum sanctorum. The ‘sevas’ should invariably be performed inside the sanctum sanctorum alone either to the presiding deity or in his presence and not to the ‘utsava’ deities. At the most the temple administration can go in for performing them in ‘Ekantham’ but cannot dispense them the pundits are understood to have made it clear. It is against this backdrop that the committee has reportedly decided to buy time before submitting its recommendations.

When asked for his comments Mr. Rao said that at present the temple management was in a very comfortable position allowing the visiting devotees till the ‘Kulasekhara Alwar Padi’ on the week days.

The TTD management is seriously mulling over the idea of advancing the timing of the Kalyanotsavam ritual being performed daily inside the temple of Lord Venkateswara.

Speaking to reporters who met him the executive officer I.Y.R. Krishna Rao said that event hough the idea had to be carefully dealt with as the issue related to the ‘Agama sastras’ that governs the performance of all the rituals being performed inside the temple. Moreover devotees all across the globe attach great importance to the ritual which is performed all through the year on a regular basis except on exceptional days. The advancement of the timing of the ‘Kalyanotsavam’ will not only enable the temple management maintain an uninterrupted ‘darshan’ queue lines from morning till evening but also would help in clearing thousands of devotees additionally everyday. Besides this the system would also relieve the strain of long waiting hours on the part of the devotees. At present devotees desirous of performing the ‘Kalyanotsavams’ are asked to report at the Vaikuntam queue complex at 10.00 a.m., and by the time they finish the ‘darshan’ the clock almost tickles down over 3.00 p.m., in the afternoon thus consuming almost the entire day. Thus the devotees are left with only a couple of hours at their disposal to motor down to Tirupati and catch their destined trains in the evening.

Treading cautiously Mr. Rao said that the advancement of the timing would definitely prove an added advantage both to the visiting devotees as well as the temple management and said that the TTD would however arrive at a final decision over the issue only after an in depth discussion with the temple pundits.

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