TIRUPATI: The construction of temples by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in the villages of fishermen, tribals and Backward Classes has helped stop the conversion of Hindus in those areas into other religions. This was revealed in the social audit of temples built with SRIVANI funds, said TTD Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy.
The EO conducted a review of the construction of temples with the funds that it got under the Sri Venkateswara Alaya Nirmana Trust (SRIVANI), in Tirupati on Thursday. “The social audit conducted recently in some districts showed that there is an overwhelming happiness among the villagers where the temples were constructed,’’ he said.
The construction of 320 temples in the villages of fishermen, tribals and BCs has been completed under the auspices of Samarasata Seva Foundation through SRIVANI Trust.
Mentioning that more than Rs 26 crore has been spent on constructing the temples, Dharma Reddy said the social audit was conducted by leading Chartered Accountant firms registered with The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). The CA firms have prepared a questionnaire with 50 questions and collected opinions from the people of the surrounding areas of all the temples.
“After examining the opinions of the people, it was explained that the construction of the temples made them happy and that they were contributing to the propagation of Hindu Dharma by regularly going to the temples, performing pujas, bhajans and festivals,’’ he said.
The villagers expressed their views that after the construction of the temples in the villages, there is a sense of divinity. “It is clear that conversions have almost stopped in those areas,” Dharma Reddy said.
TTD JEO Veerabrahmam, All Projects Programme Officer Rajagopal and others participated in the meeting.