TIRUPATI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat lauded Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for taking up the construction of new temples in backward areas and renovating the dilapidated ones through SRIVANI trust funds.
Speaking at the inauguration of the three-day International Temples Convention and Expo (ITCX)-2023 in Varanasi on Saturday, the RSS chief said that TTD has been propagating dharma by constructing new temples.
“We need to pass on the legacy of temple service to the next generation by raising awareness of the temple ecosystem. In view of the same, we need to solidify every aspect of temple management, whether it is hygiene, service or infrastructure,” the RSS chief stated.
Giving a PowerPoint presentation on the temple and its various works, TTD executive officer AV Dharma Reddy asserted that a strong conviction, goal, zeal and devotion of administrators will definitely help in the development of the administration of the temple.
He said, “A temple is not just a place of worship but it is a centre for education, health, Vedic studies, spiritual activities, Annadanam and many more. When these kinds of holistic things are done by the temples, people visit in large numbers.”
The EO stated that about 1,600 operations, including four open heart surgeries, were performed successfully on infants and children in Sri Padmavathi Children’s Heart Centre, SVIMS, BIRRD hospitals, and Aswini-Apollo Cardiac in Tirumala. Elaborating further, Dharma Reddy went on to say that TTD has 66 departments along with a strong and dedicated workforce of nearly 24,500, including 7,000 regular employees.
“Introduction of new infrastructure coupled with the latest technology has enabled us to meet the increasing demands of the pilgrims. We are providing hassle-free darshan to over 80,000 pilgrims in a day, producing nearly 3.5 lakh laddus every day and providing Annaprasadam to nearly 2 lakh devotees at all our centres on a daily basis. The entire TTD administration is paperless and everything has been computerised with absolute transparency,” he elaborated.
The EO highlighted that efficient management techniques by successive administrators always helped TTD to give the best facilities to its pilgrims. “If the basic amenities like food and sanitation are provided in a healthy environment, then, TTD can be a role model to other temple management.” Dharma Reddy explained.