TTD Raises One-day Annaprasadam Scheme Allocation to Rs 38 Lakhs

Tirupati: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has announced an upward revision of its allocation for the Annaprasadam Scheme -- from Rs 33 lakh to Rs 38 lakh per day. This is in view of the escalation in the prices of essential commodities, TTD stated here on Wednesday, TTD has said.

The Annaprasadam wing provides free food to thousands of devotees. Substantial donations in both cash and kind come to  the Sri Venkateswara AnnaPrasadam Trust for this purpose.

As part of TTD’s initiative to provide the visiting devotees with nourishing meals, the morning breakfast service for a day now costs a donor Rs 8 lakh, while both lunch and dinner services cost them Rs 15 lakh each.

TTD offers various options for donors, allowing them to personally serve food to devotees, thereby receiving the blessings of Srivari. Donor names are prominently displayed at the Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Anna Prasadam Bhavan in Tirumala.

In addition to Tirumala, where Annaprasadam is a daily ritual, the scheme is extended to various locations in Tirupati, including Srinivasam, Vishnu Nivasam, Ruia Hospital, SVIMS, Maternity BIRRD, SV Ayurveda hospitals, TTD-run educational institutions and the Anna Prasada Bhavan in Tiruchanoor.

On important occasions, festivals and during summer vacations, TTD distributes Annaprasadam to over three lakh devotees a day. This includes devotees at the Vaikuntam Queue Complex-1&2, those in the outside queue lines and PAC-2&4.

At Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Anna Prasadam Bhavan, Tirumala, devotees are offered a menu that includes rice, curry, sambar, rasam, sweet pongal and buttermilk.

“The Annaprasadam scheme requires a lot of resources. This involves a daily consumption of 14 to 16.5 tonnes of rice and 6.5 to 7.5 tonnes of vegetables,” TTD has stated.