TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has come up with an initiative to provide healthy food to pilgrims in the name of ‘Sampradaya Bhojanam’. The traditional meal is prepared using organic ingredients.
The eight-day trial run of Sampradaya Bhojanam began at Annamayya Bhavan on Thursday. As part of the trial run, the meal consisting of 14 dishes was served to pilgrims.The TTD, which came up with the initiative of Sampradaya Bhojanam after holding discussions with farmers engaged in organic and natural farming, will purchase the produce from them on a regular basis for its requirements.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner under Sampradaya Bhojanam will be prepared in Annamayya Canteen. “We want to fix the prices of organic food items on cost-to-cost basis,” said TTD Additional Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy. The aim of the TTD initiative is to promote Desi cow products and organic farm produce in a big way.
It may be mentioned here that the TTD Board had resolved to prepare Naivedyam to Lord Venkateswara with organic ingredients and Desi cow ghee. Prasadam prepared with organic ingredients has evoked a good response from pilgrims. Buoyed by the response, the TTD has now come up with the initiative to serve food prepared with organic ingredients to pilgrims as Annaprasadam.
According to Vijay Ram, a natural farming expert from Vikarabad in Telagana, who has been striving to promote awareness among the farming community about benefits of natural farming said, “I am very happy that a world-renowned religious organisation like TTD has come forward to encourage our mission. We are confident that this will bring a revolution in natural farming and promote Desi cow products.”
Explaining the health benefits of Chiru Dhanyalu, food expert Rambabu, who is popularly known as ‘Millet Rambabu’ said, “The Sampradaya Bhojanam project of the TTD will certainly be a big hit among pilgrims as the organic food is quite healthy.” Terming it ‘Amruta Bhojanam’, the food expert said idlis and upma prepared with organic ingredients were served as breakfast on the first day of the trial run. Kullakar and kala bath were also served to pilgrims.
“For lunch, our chef Gopi, who is an expert in preparing dishes with millets, cooked purnalu, coconut rice, pulihora and other delicacies. This is what our ancestors gave us. But we are acquainted with western food habits while ignoring the benefits of Desi food. Now, the golden old days are back with the blessings of Lord Venkateswara. This is the beginning of the healthiest way of living,” he asserted.
Deputy EO Harindranath, former TTD Trust Board member Siva Kumar and other officials also ate the Sampradaya Bhojanam along with the pilgrims on the first day.