TIRUMALA: With a noble aim to protect and promote indigenous cow breeds, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams will introduce Navaneetha Seva and involve more philanthropists in Go Seva, TTD Specified Authority Chairman and Executive Officer KS Jawahar Reddy has said.
The maiden meeting of the TTD Specified Authority was held at Annamayya Bhavan at Tirumala on Friday under the chairmanship of Jawahar Reddy. Briefing mediapersons about decisions taken at the meeting, the TTD EO said it deliberated on protection and promotion of desi cow breeds, Go Adharitha (cow-based) Naivedyam to Lord Venkateswara and promotion of organic farming with cow products (Panchagavya).
For preparation of Naivedyam to the Lord, 30 kg of cow ghee is required everyday and to prepare it 1,200 litres of milk is needed. It was decided to have seven indigenous breeds of cows along with three local breeds for milk production. About 300 cows (indigenous breeds) will be kept in Tirumala for the purpose.
The TTD will also receive desi cow ghee as donation from devotees. Tirumala temple had already received 25 Gir cows as donation from devotees, he said.
Those who are striving for Go Samrakshana are being inducted into the TTD Gosamrakshana Trust as co-opted members, he said. “We have also held talks with Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University in Tirupati to sign a pact on embryo transfer technology to promote indigenous cow breeds, feed mixing and other related matters,” the EO said.
The TTD has already proposed to sell organic incense sticks at Tirumala from August 15. It will also start sale of some Panchagavya products in the coming months. It was also decided to examine a proposal to procure 7,000 tonnes of Bengal gram required by the TTD annually for Laddu prasadam from farmers of Rayalaseema region to encourage them to take up organic farming with cow products (Panchagavya), Jawahar Reddy said.
As part of efforts to protect the environs of Tirumala from pollution, electric vehicles will be deployed in place of diesel/petrol vehicles in a phased manner. As per Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy’s advice, TTD will take up development of some temples in the state, for which `8.94 cr will be released from Srivani Trust funds.
