TIRUMALA: The Venkateswara temple in Tirumala will soon have fully automatic laddu-making machines. TTD Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy on Friday said that Reliance company came forward to establish this fully automatic machine at a cost of Rs 50 crore. “With this, we will be able to provide more hygienic and tasty laddus to the devotees.”
He said that the construction work on state-of-the-art museum in Tirumala would be completed by the end of the year. Speaking to mediapersons after the Dial your EO programme in Tirumala, Dharma Reddy said, “The SV Museum will be ready by the end of December.
“The devotees will have a unique experience and even the 3D images of the Lord’s jewels will also be displayed,” Dharma Reddy added.
Anjanadri temple at Akasa Ganga would be coming up at an estimated cost of rs 50 cr-Rs 60 cr and the new Parakamani building would be operational from February 5 onwards, the EO said. Briefing on the replacement of the acacia plantation in Tirumala, he said that the works were going at a brisk pace.
20.78 lakh devotees had darshan in January
Speaking on the pilgrim visits in the month of January, he said that 20.78 lakh devotees had darshan while 37.38 lakh had Annaprasadam and 7.51 lakh offered tonsures. The Hundi collection stood at Rs 123.07 crore, while 1.07 crore laddus were distributed to pilgrims.
The executive officer said that an unprecedented number of pilgrims turned up for the one-day Brahmotsavam, Radhasapthami, which took place in a full-fledged manner after two years of the pandemic. He said about two lakh pilgrims witnessed all Saptha Vahana Sevas on January 28 and anna prasad was provided to over eight lakh devotees in galleries.
He went on to say that the gold malam works of Ananda Nilayam were postponed and that TTD would be opting for global tenders to complete the works within a specific time frame keeping in view the increase in footfall at Tirumala temple.
The EO also said, “the new Mobile App launched by TTD garnered huge reception from pilgrims as over 10 lakh downloaded the application within 24 hours of its launch. For the first time, TTD would be organising Yuva Dharmikotsavam in Asthana Mandapam at Tirumala on February 5, 6 with 2,000 youth.”