TIRUMALA: In a landmark initiative, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is set to expand its devotional and spiritual influence across Andhra Pradesh by integrating efforts with the State Endowments Department and Panchayat Raj engineers.
The move, in tune with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of strengthening society through spirituality, aims to create a broad framework for building a spiritual atmosphere across the state.
TTD Executive Officer M Ravichandra said that the institution is mobilising its vast network of Srivari Sevaks - volunteers who traditionally serve in TTD temples and institutions for 10 to 20 days - to contribute to spiritual development in their respective hometowns. The Sevaks will now extend their services to the 26,000 temples managed by the Endowments Department.
The Srivari Sevak teams have been organised to provide both general services in temples and specialised support in areas such as medical care, pharmacy, engineering, and accounting. AI technology is being deployed to track their contributions, with volunteers receiving ratings based on performance.
High-ranking Sevaks will be given priority invitations to participate in prestigious events like the Srivari Brahmotsavams.
To ensure quality service, TTD has launched training programmes and ‘training of trainers’ sessions for Sevaks. This structured approach is expected to professionalise voluntary service and make it more impactful at the grassroots level. In line with the Chief Minister’s vision, TTD has drawn up an ambitious plan to construct 5,000 temples across Andhra Pradesh using donations received under the Srivani Trust, which has already accumulated more than Rs 2,000 crore. So far, government approval has been granted for 615 temples, with construction underway in collaboration with the Endowments Department.
However, given the limited number of engineers in the Endowments Department, TTD has requested the government to allow Panchayat Raj engineers to supervise temple construction. This integration is expected to accelerate the pace of temple building while ensuring quality standards.
The Srivari Sevak initiative, launched in November 2000 with just 200 volunteers, has grown exponentially. As of now, TTD has 17,17,627 registered Sevaks, organised into 1,74,729 teams. Among them, 4,99,943 are men and 12,17,684 are women, reflecting strong female participation.
Over the years, Sevaks have been deployed in various departments, including the Parakamani section. More than 2,53,783 Sevaks have served in this capacity, with over 70% of them being bank employees and well-educated professionals. Today, Sevaks hail not only from Andhra Pradesh but also from states such as Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. Their growing presence underscores the nationwide appeal of voluntary service at Tirumala.
EO Ravichandra emphasised that the initiative is not merely about temple management but about fostering a spiritual resurgence in society.