Tirupati: Hawkers, without caring for the sentiments of devotees, are reselling flowers and leaves that are offered to the deities at the Alipiri Steps in Tirupati.
Devotees who climb the steps to Tirumala make offerings of flowers, holy leaves, and coconuts at the entry point, in Tirupati. Hawkers collect these flowers and leaves from the point where offerings are made and resell them to a new batch of devotees for Rs 30 - Rs 40.
As per Hindu customs, flowers and leaves that have been presented as offerings to a god must be dropped into a water body such as a river or a canal. However, these hawkers do not seem to care for the sentiments of devotees.
Hawkers near the Alipiri Steps have been warned, on several occasions, by security officers, against illegally selling flowers. Some devotees have also taken note of their actions.
B. Manognya, a devotee from Vizag, said, “They are selling flowers at sky-high prices. We have observed that they are collecting goods and reselling them. When questioned, the hawkers don't have any response. We have some sentiments associated with the offering of flowers to god before we begin the walk. I am confused about whether to buy the flowers or not after seeing this.”
Despite the warnings, these hawkers continue to do business in the absence of any action by the concerned officials. A security officer, on condition of anonymity, said, “We have made them vacate the spot several times. The hawkers approach local political leaders who pressurise us. There are some talks underway within the TTD regarding the launch of a TTD-run coconut counter to avoid such incidents and control prices.”
