TIRUPATI

Though every visitor feels staying a little more longer before Lord Venkateswara, adorned with costly jewels and draped in shimmering silks whose worth can be fixed only in astronomical figures, he is dragged physically by the scores of guides, allowing not even a fleeting second, yet the experience remains evergreen and beckons unending repetitions of the visit. Alas similar effect is repeated on the next visit too. So each man then visits... visits... visits...

As we emerge from the main shrine, we will be surprised to see a long grow of smart young men thrusting into our hands tickets for free meal, supplied in huge halls, served by hundred of men to thousands and thousands, both at noon and night. This has another interesting origin. This is due to the Authorities encouraging Annadana Scheme, for which hundreds of donors paid lacs of rupees. Obeisance to the author of the scheme.

The Hundi collections are perennial, and on average the monthly income exceeds four crores of rupees. But the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board working under the guidance of the Commissioner for the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endownments of the State Government with an Executive Officer of the cadre of I.A.S. is utilizing it for several charitable purposes, like running of schools, colleges of different categories, orphanages, hospitals, besides maintaining two Universities of great distinction in the field of Education. For construction of choultries, Kalyana Mantapams, renovating and maintaining of good old ruined temples, it is spending such huge sums that it exceeds the annual budget of some states in the list of Indian Union. The very fact that as many as 8000 officials of all cadres are working in all Departments of the Board speaks of its multifarious activities covering every segment of life of devotees living not only in India, but in far off of continents, like America, Australia and Europe, where the Lord's temples are coming up now and there is craze for them everywhere in foreign countries at it.

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