TIRUMALA : The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has invited people from other faiths who want to embrace Hinduism voluntarily to do so at the feet of Sri Venkateswara Swamy in Tirumala.
“If people of any other religion come forward to practise Hinduism voluntarily, such persons will be welcomed to the Hindu way of life. They will be trained in Hindu rituals, traditions and practices rooted in the Sanatana Dharma. This will be initiated in Tirumala,’’ TTD Trust Board chairman Bhumana Karunakara Reddy said on Monday.
Karunakara Reddy, along with swamijis and pontiffs of various mutts and Hindu religious organisations, announced the resolutions that were passed in the three-day-long Dharmika Sadas organised by the Srivari temple Trust in Astana Mandapam at Tirumala.
‘Suitable measures needed to curb conversions’
During the conclave, the participants came to the consensus that the discriminatory attitude of some people towards certain castes has led to religious conversions, especially in rural areas.
“Suitable measures are needed to prevent such religious conversions. In today’s hi-fi society, many Hindu youngsters are converting due to environmental influence and the temptations of wealth. During the conference, we found that training camps and other schemes are necessary to put an end to this situation,” Karunakara Reddy said.
The participants also felt that Hindu dharmic activities need to be taken up in a widespread manner in Harijanawadas and Girijanawadas to avoid conversions. “During the conference, the members opined that Dharmic programmes will be successful only when they reach the target audience. So, it is necessary to teach as many people as possible to protect their religion and promote spirituality in every person,’’ the TTD Trust Board chairman said.
Asserting that temples help inculcate good manners in society, Karunakara Reddy said, “Thousands of temples are crumbling, and in some places, they are disappearing altogether. Revival of dilapidated temples and construction of mandirs in Dalit, tribal and fishing areas need to be taken up in a big way.’’
He added that the TTD has already constructed thousands of temples in backward areas under SRIVANI Trust and will continue the programme.
The TTD has received several suggestions from the pontiffs, which include propagating ‘Itihasas’ and ‘Puranas’ (written texts of Hinduism) to all sections of people to help them understand their essence easily. “For this, there is a need to train Dharma Pracharaks,’’ Karunakara Reddy said.
The TTD has also decided to train women in the ways of Sanatana Dharma so that they could teach their children to be “good citizens of Bharat” from a young age. He mentioned that a decision to transform Tirupati to ensure that pilgrims experience a spiritual atmosphere there comparable to Tirumala was taken during the conference. Additionally, the members decided to extensively engage in Go Samrakshana activities to safeguard Gomata. The TTD chief said these kinds of conferences contribute to the preservation of Hindu Dharma and should be held in Tirumala or Tirupati once every year.