AP CM Naidu Announces Trust To Build Venkateswara Temples

Tirumala: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said a trust will be constituted to mobilise funds to build temples of Lord Venkateswara.

After offering prayers at the world famous temple here in connection with the 10th birthday of his grandson Devansh, son of IT Minister Nara Lokesh and Brahmani with Nara family members, he said several villages in the State still do not have the temples of Lord Venkateswara.

Anna Danam (food distribution) programme was launched during the late NT Rama Rao's tenure and now Prana Danam (Life Donation) programme has been introduced, the Chief Minister said after darshan in the early hours. "As the third programme we are planning construction of temples and the trust will be formed only for the service of the God," the Chief Minister said.

Maintaining that the funds mobilised through the trust will be spent in a systematic manner, Naidu made it clear that if anyone illegally grabs the lands of Lord Venkateswara, strict action will be taken to see to it such properties are returned to the Lord. After prayers all the family members personally served food to the devotees at the Anna Vitharana Kendram.

"We have made it a tradition to furnish food every year to the devotees at Tirumala on the occasion of the birthday of Devansh. It was late NTR who launched the Anna Danam at Tirumala which is an august programme which will remain forever. I have launched the Prana Danam programme and both these initiatives have been launched for the service of both the Lord and humanity," the Chief Minister said.

Naidu reasserted that all the Seven Hills are owned by the Lord completely and made it clear that this sacred place should not be desecrated or should not be used for commercial purposes. Recalling the war waged when remarks were made that Tirumala does not have Seven Hills but only Five Hills, he said that he was targeted by 24 claymore mines when he was coming down the Hills after launching the Prana Danam programme.

"In fact, I would not have survived had so many claymore mines been exploded but for the blessings of Lord Venkateswara. One should think about the nobility of Lord Venkateswara. No one can survive if targeted with exploding 24 claymore mines. I could survive only because of the glory of Lord Venkateswara," the Chief Minister fondly recalled.

Stating that several protests have been staged in the past five years to uphold the sanctity of Tirumala, he said that this is the reason as to why he had given a statement that the purification process will be launched at Tirumala immediately after coming to power. Permissions have been accorded to Mumtaz, Emaar and Devlok hotels by allocating 35.32 acres of land which is close to the Hills, Chandrababu said in an oblique reference to the previous YSRCP government.

The Chief Minister announced that the permissions given to these holts are being repealed and made it amply clear that no one should use the vicinity of the Hills for commercial purpose and should not desecrate the surroundings. "I request all the employees of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to march a bit ahead to uphold the sanctity of Lord Venkateswara and should not perform for personal gains," the Chief Minister observed.