TIRUPATI: With a view to increasing the production of Srivari Laddu prasadam, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) plans to set up a fully automatic machine at the famous Tirumala temple of Lord Venkateswara Swamy.
TTD executive officer A.V. Dharma Reddy told the media on Friday that the Reliance group would arrange the Rs50-crore machine for making better-quality laddus. “Its capacity is nearly 6 lakh laddus a day. TTD could thus be able to provide more hygienic and tastier laddus to the devotees.”
The EO said the state-of-the-art museum, under construction in Tirumala, would be the world’s number one. This would be ready by the year-end.
“The SV Museum is built at a cost of Rs 120 crore. The devotees will have a unique experience and even the 3D imaging jewels will be displayed there," he stated.
The Anjanadri temple at Akasa Ganga is also coming up with a donation of Rs 50 to 60 crore. The new Parakamani building would become operational from Feb 5, he said.
On the replacement of the Acacia plantation in Tirumala, the EO said the work was going on at a fast pace and devotees would soon see healthy species replacing the Acacia in Seshachala woods.
DARSHAN: Giving details of the darshan numbers in January, the EO said 20.78 lakh devotees had darshan, while 37.38 lakh pilgrims had Annaprasadam and 7.51 offered tonsures. Hundi collection for the month stood at Rs123.07 crores while 1.07 crore laddus were distributed to pilgrims.
Before taking phone calls from the pilgrim callers during the live phone-in programme Dial Your EO at the Annamayya Bhavan, Dharma Reddy said TTD has decided to postpone the gold malam works of Ananda Nilayam and is going for global tenders to complete the works with finesse within a specific time-frame, keeping in view the huge pilgrim footfalls to the Tirumala temple.
