Balaji in the News - Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD)

Tirupati’s future’s online
- By Shaukat H. Mohammed

(Asian Age)

Hyderabad, April 22: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, which manages the affairs of the Lord Venkateswara temple, has decided to enter the commodities business, but only as an observer as of now.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), believed to be the richest temple management organisation in the country, has set up a commodity futures terminal on its premises. The terminal provides futures trading facilities from the three main commodity exchanges: the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, Multi-Commodity Exchange of India and National Multi-Commodity Exchange. The terminal has been placed by a Kochi-based company.

According to sources, TTD decided to set up the terminal because the Lord Venkateswara Temple is one of the largest buyers of commodities like cardamom, cashew, sugar and jaggery. The terminal is expected to help TTD monitor market price fluctuations of these commodities. However, it is unclear whether TTD will at all begin using the terminal to take positions in the emerging commodities market.

Wow. I read this and the thought that popped into my Western mind was, "Jesus, money changers, temple."

I'm sure there's an appropriate smiley to go along with this thought, but I found it hard to choose among the various choices.

Dandavats,
Lancer

QUOTE(Lancer @ Apr 23 2005, 07:22 AM)

Dear Lancer, I'm glad you thought of adding a smiley to that comment. Actually many people who do visit Tirupati at first get the impression that it is just one big money making machine. However it is my experience that there are money making aspects involved with all organized religion. Tirupati is just on a bigger scale that some other places due to the popularity of Lord Balaji. In case you have not been there there are in fact "money changers" at many Indian temples even in Vrndavan. People often sit outside the temples and offer to change large bills for smaller coins to the prilgrims. It is said that one should offer something when one visits a temple and many people offer a small monetary donation. In actual fact at Tirupati there are NO money changers. Tirumala Tirupati Devastanams (TTD) who run the temple do not permit such people to do sidewalk business there. However there are people (many of them) who sell devotional pictures and souveneirs. Another reason you will not find money changers at Tirupati is that people there generally give large amounts to the deity and do not need to break their rupee notes into paise in order to offer a token amount of change.

Anyway it certainly makes sense to me that the temple managment (of whatever temple) would not want to waste the temple's money. Therefore they are charged with trying to get the best deals on buying the items needed to continue the functioning of the temple. In this case Tirupati is a major distributer of prasadam and therefore it behooves the temple authorities to keep an eye on the commodities market. Tirupati is a good example to all of us of how a temple can be run well and efficiently and at the same time how a temple can still inspire millions of pilgrims. As Vaisnavas I would hope that we can learn from the success of Tirupati (and other examples of large sucessful organized religious organizations) and follow their examples for spreading Vaisnavism.

Keshava,

I apologize if my tongue-in-cheek remark seemed like a criticism. I really meant (and evidently failed) to draw attention to the cultural contexts that different varieties of faith present to their adherents. I know that here in the good ol' US of A, if a Christian church were known, say, to have set aside office space and a computer terminal to link up to the Chicago Commodities Exchange, it would not be a minor human-interest news item but a major scandal!

But I'm sorry if my joking came across as a criticism. On the contrary, I agree with you that it is vitally important for us to be good stewards of the Lord's property (here my Christian upbringing is showing again), and in my association with various denominational groups (I'm really trying not to pick on anyone in particular), I have seen instances where this was not the case. It sounds as though the TTD is taking significant measures to insure the latest technology can be applied to the stewardship problem.

The issue of not giving because one wished to have a smaller bill handy particularly hit home with me. I would rather not admit how recently this brand of selfishness colored my own behavior. But somewhere in zAstra (I'm either paraphrasing from memory or making this up), it says that anyone who criticizes is the true friend, so I appreciate your remarks even if through my own fault they hurt a bit. No pain, no gain!

Thank you for allowing me to apologize to the Tirupati management and to clarify my feelings.

Dandavats,
Lancer

QUOTE(Keshava @ Apr 27 2005, 02:17 PM)

QUOTE(Lancer @ Apr 23 2005, 07:22 AM)

Lancer, no offense taken by your remarks. I just wanted to write that reply because having lived in South India for many years and visited Tirupati many times, taking with me many other westerners for the first time, it is a typical reaction. Tirupati is one of the biggest and certainly the wealthiest temples in the world. It is also one of the most visited by pilgrims. Certainly the place has it share of Disneyland type commercial qualities, however at the heart of it all is the fact that every one of those millions of pilgrims has great faith in that deity. OK, the Government makes heaps because it controls the temple, however the TTD do a magnificent job of organizing the darshan and accomodation, etc. Tell me another holy place in India that is so clean as Tirumala, or where signs implore devotees to not smoke, or even wear flowers that are unoffered. Tell me another Holy place where the security guards (at the entrance to the ghat road leading up the sacred mountains) search and confiscate not only terroist bombs but also meat and liquor which are forbidden on the hill.

I would not suggest to anyone to go there without going with a person who has been before. It is pretty overwhelming the first time. At the same time it is inspiring and makes you wonder what could be done in Vrndavan or Mayapur. And at the same time there are also some negative factors that cannot be avoided with such expansion.

TTD planning to turn IT-savvy in a big way

Special Correspondent

Kiosks to provide necessary information to pilgrims
TTD plans `Hotspot' facility
To provide free projects costing Rs.1.5 crores

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Schemes being worked out with HCL
Kiosks to provide necessary information to pilgrims
TTD plans `Hotspot' facility
Online booking facility extended to Chennai
Schemes being worked out with HCL
Kiosks to provide necessary information to pilgrims
TTD plans `Hotspot' facility
Online booking facility extended to Chennai
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TIRUPATI: Online access, video-conferencing, call centres, Wi-Fi Hotspots, information kiosks... the `Generation Next' jargon is making rounds in the abode of Lord Venkateswara with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) planning to hit the IT highway in a big way.

Several schemes are being worked out with the computer giant, Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL) expressing willingness to provide free projects costing Rs.1.5 crores as a humble contribution to the Lord.

The kiosk, similar to the touchscreen enquiry terminal in railway stations, is meant to provide information to pilgrims on the status of sevas, accommodation availability and darshan timings. With the trial run at the Hyderabad centre evoking a good response, the TTD plans to extend the same to Tirupati (Srinivasam complex), Tirumala, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

An all-encompassing software to fit in the donation schemes, donor database and the facilities extended to them, etc. is also being prepared. And the third is the toll-free call centre. A six-member crew will work round the clock to answer devotees' queries. HCL has reportedly agreed to run the centre for two years.

The TTD also plans to set up a Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) enabled area, commonly known as `Hotspot.' The facility is provided in airports, major railway stations and star hotels to help laptop-wielding passengers access the Internet. While the CISCO Group has already erected a wireless tower on the TTD premises free of cost, it has to be connected with access points at six strategic locations, so that the Web can be accessed the moment one enters the signal zone.

Video-conferencing

While these ambitious plans take time, the TTD is keen on commissioning video-conferencing soon between the Tirupati main office and the Annamayya Bhavan at Tirumala, where the trust board meetings are held.

As a cable is already in place between Tirupati and Tirumala, it only requires setting up of nodes at the ends.

Plans are afoot to get it inaugurated by the TTD Chairman, T. Subbarami Reddy, on April 23.

Meanwhile, the online booking facility is likely to be extended to Chennai and Bangalore in a week, which is expected to bring down queue line congestion to a great extent.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip.../04/20/&prd=th&

Civic body too to seek TTD funds

By Our Staff Reporter
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003/06...62705130300.htm

TIRUPATI June 26, 2003. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is already in a fix with the Government training its guns at it seeking funds for the Godavari Pushkarams, is likely to face stepped up pressure from the Tirupati Municipality too.

Apart from the Government, SV University is also learnt to be contemplating seeking a grant of Rs.5 crores for celebrating its golden jubilee next year. And now, the municipality is planning to invite the Government's intervention in making the TTD foot its electricity bill.

With the water reserves on the Tirumala hills depleting, the TTD is forced to depend on the Kalyani dam to meet the needs of over 50,000 visiting pilgrims though the water is actually meant to quench the thirst of Tirupati.

As the water reaches the hills by gravitational force, it involves no pumping cost. The municipality, on the other hand, with no other option, depends entirely on the Telugu Ganga water being pumped from the Kandaleru reservoir to the temple town via the Kailasagiri reservoir near Srikalahasti, covering a distance of 80 km. The pumping expenditure has burdened the civic body. It is paying Rs.40 lakhs a month towards electricity charges alone.

At the municipal meet held here today, the Chairperson, K. Sankar Reddy, hinted at writing to the Chief Minister to direct the TTD to foot its power bill as it was to meet the TTD's needs the civic body was forced to depend on the Telugu Ganga water.

The shelved demand for imposing tax on devotees entering the temple town for development of amenities was revived today, albeit in a different form, with the municipality planning to seek a share in the toll fee collected by the TTD from pilgrims.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Sankar Reddy said he was planning to write to the TTD to share Re.1 out of the toll collected from every four-wheeler proceeding to the hills.

As the pilgrims pass through the town and use the amenities provided by the civic body before going the hills, it was not at all unjustified, he said.

TTD to construct Rs.3-cr medical block in Tirupati

Special Correspondent
http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/29/stories/2005042910910300.htm

Exclusive paediatric block planned with State funds

TIRUPATI: The Hospital Development Committee of S.V.R.R. Government General Hospital met here on Thursday and discussed in detail all the problems dogging the major teaching hospital.

The panel, which met under the chairmanship of the TTD's Executive Officer, A.P.V. Narayana Sarma, has among other things decided to revive the construction of the medical block which was stalled reportedly due to certain technical reasons.

The block would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs.3 crores to be provided entirely by the TTD.

Another major decision was to provide the hospital with an exclusive paediatric block to be constructed with State Government funds.

The Chairman of the Development Committee has asked the Superintendent of the Hospital, Dr. Salam, to initiate the proceedings for the installation of a new X-ray plant in the hospital's Radiology department. Steps would also be taken to computerise the working of the various blocks including the out-patient block to improve efficiency and patient care.

The Tirupati MP, Chintha Mohan, who also attended the meeting along with the MLA, M. Venkatramana, wanted the SVRR Hospital and the TTD's super specialities hospital, SVIMS to work in close tandem. The committee recommended the appointment of Dr. K. Venkateswarlu as the Deputy Superintendent and Dr. Tarachand as the Civil Surgeon RMO replacing the present incumbent, Sudarsana Varma who is demitting office.

Pilgrims pat TTD for facilities

Staff Reporter
http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/25/stories/2005042510560500.htm

Chairman, officials conduct surprise visit

TIRUMALA: The image of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) management received a morale boost with the pilgrim parties expressing satisfaction over the arrangements being made by the TTD for the benefit of the visiting devotees, on Sunday.

Annoyed at the allegations made by a section of the electronic media that the present TTD board was attaching more importance to the devotees from the affluent classes and neglecting the common pilgrims, the TTD Chairman, T. Subbirami Reddy, along with the TTD Executive Officer, A.P.V.N. Sarma, and the Special Officer, A. V. Dharma Reddy conducted surprise inspections at several cottage allotment counters and the massive Pilgrim Amenities Complexes (PAC).

During the hour-long inspection the Chairman interacted with several pilgrim parties who were either standing in the queue for want of accommodation or resting in the spacious halls, waiting for their turn, for darshan. Except for one or two pilgrims who complained against minor lapses, the rest appreciated the efforts of the management with regard to the arrangements. Even pilgrims coming from places like Chhattisgarh, who normally face a problem communicating with the locals, appreciated the arrangements. Later, talking to mediapersons, Mr. Subbirami Reddy said that catering to the needs of the poor and common pilgrims was top on the agenda of the present board.

Functioning of TTD under doubt as Parakamani scam unfolds

G.P. Shukla
http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/03/stories/2005050302450500.htm

Second blow to department in less than two years following the Alipiri blast.

TIRUMALA: The startling revelations of Salim, the brain behind the recently detected `Parakamani scam' at the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala, has put a question mark over the functioning of the TTD Security and Vigilance Department.

This is the second blow the department has suffered in less than two years in the aftermath of the Alipiri bomb blast.

The alleged revelation by Salim that he has committed `theft' on 64 occasions and had been successful every time during the past 16 months and in the process has earned lakhs of rupees, seriously questions the professional skills of the department personnel. Counting the offerings, is done under strict supervision of top temple and security officials amidst tight security involving thorough risking of personnel under survelliance of CC TV cameras.

Under such fortified circumstances, the fact that the gang could manage to commit the crime is a hard to believe. The fact that the department with a strong work force of 1,000 has not detected even a single scandal in the past one decade is surprising.

However, several scandals involving rental, fake laddu tokens, fake archana tickets soap oil gas spare parts, and darshan, have been detected by the local police.

The TTD Chief Vigilance and Security Officer, Balakrishna, admitted that the personnel lacked the required professionalism in detecting frauds, and attributed the failure to lack of proper set-up of the vigilance cadre. Proposals are being made to rope in efficient and professional officers from various State intelligence agencies like -- special Branch, CID, and Special Intelligence Bureau.

Pointing out at the lacuna in the recruitment system, he said most personnel were ex-servicemen who were good in the field but lacked the required skills for the job. To strengthen the department , regular meetings will be organised with the top officials of intelligence agencies periodically.

Space science in the lord’s hands
G.S. RADHAKRISHNA

Hyderabad, May 4: If the rocket crashes tomorrow, blame Lord Balaji.

Indian space scientists placed miniature replicas of the rocket that is set to blast off tomorrow morning from the Sriharikota spaceport and the two satellites it would carry at a shrine to the god for his blessings.

The replicas were taken to the sanctum sanctorum of the reigning deity of the Tirupati Tirumala Dewasthanam and ordained as priests chanted Vedic hymns.

Authorities of the temple in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, where the spaceport is located, confirmed that 15 scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation, led by its chief, Dr G. Madhavan Nair, came to the town yesterday to seek the deity’s blessings.

A temple spokesman quoted Nair as saying: “I am in Tirupati to offer prayers for the success of the launch.”

“I cannot believe they actually did this,” said Prof. Ajay Sood, head of physical sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

“For an individual, going to a temple may be an issue of faith, but to mix the space programme with religion is very wrong,” said Prof. Kasturi Lal Chopra, president of India’s Society for Scientific Values and former director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

Tomorrow’s launch is aimed at putting every Indian household on the map. One of the satellites, the 1.5-tonne CARTOSAT-1, mounted with two cameras for “stereographic” imaging, carries with it the ambitions of India’s space programme.

Once lodged into orbit 618 km above earth, the satellite can read images smaller than a motorcar by identifying features down to 2.5 metres across.

The satellite will help urban and rural planning, land and water management, relief operations and environmental assessments.

CARTOSAT-1, which represents the highest payload carried so far by a polar satellite launch vehicle, will also carry a 42.5-kg HAMSAT, a micro-satellite that provides amateur radio services.

The scientists spent almost half an hour in the sanctum sanctorum and later took part in an elaborate ritual for another hour when priests showered ashirvachanam (blessings) of the deity on them.

“Some of the scientists even put currency notes in the temple hundi (container) for the success of the launch,” said the temple spokesman. Sources said the prayers followed astrological predictions that the launch could be delayed.

This is not the first time space scientists have turned to god before an expedition into the distant heavens. Former Isro chief K. Kasturirangan, too, had invoked divine blessings before a launch.

“This practice is in vogue since the days of Kasturirangan,” said D. Narayana Rao, director of the MSP radar station at Tirupati who had organised the temple trip.

Tomorrow’s launch is scheduled for 10.19 am when the PSLV C-6 (picture on right) will take off from the newly-built second launch pad, 1.5 km south of the first launch pad in Sriharikota.

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who has a scientific background, inaugurated the second launch pad today.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050505/asp/...ory_4698904.asp

All set for week-long `Gangamma jatar'
http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/10/stories/20...1007620300.htma

TIRUPATI: Braving the hot and sunny days of May, Tirupati is getting ready for its annual folk festival, `Gangamma jatara'.

Gangamma is worshipped as the younger sister of Lord Venkateswara and hence the jatara is as famous here as the `Sammakka Sarakka' festival of Telangana.

Devotees, irrespective of their castes and religious faiths, start pouring into Tirupati for a week starting Tuesday from all over Chittoor, parts of Cuddapah and Nellore districts, and the bordering areas of Tamil Nadu.

The `jatara' is observed by all the native residents of Tirupati, wherever they settle across the globe owing to business or professional reasons. The festival begins past Tuesday midnight with `Chatimpu', when the temple priests walk through the streets to announce the beginning of the fete by beating traditional drums.

With this, a ban is deemed to have been clamped on movement of residents into and out of Tirupati old town area, spread over one kilometre radius around Her Tataiahgunta temple, covering Govindaraja temple, RTC bus station and Korlagunta areas.

Temple legend

According to temple records, `Tataiahgunta' was associated with a 16th Century devotee, `Tirumala Thathacharyulu', who was said to have built a `Gunta' (tank) and consecrated the temple near it.

In the earlier days, devotees visiting Tirumala offered prayers at this temple before embarking on a holy trek to the hills. As a birthday gift from a brother to his sister, the Tirumala temple management sends `saarey', an auspicious gift on behalf of Lord Venkateswara, which includes a saree, turmeric, kumkum, bangles etc.

The saarey will be brought to the temple on Tuesday from Avilala, situated on the outskirts of Tirupati, which is said to be Gangamma's birthplace.

A huge clay image of the goddess is being prepared in the temple for the event, which will be smashed by the priests after the weeklong festival.

Devotees mix the clay smithereens in water and consume it as `Prasadam'. The temple executive officer, Ch. Srinivasa Reddy, has said that elaborate arrangements had been made for the mega occasion.

TOTAL DEVOTION: A clay idol of goddess Gangamma being prepared at Tataiahgunta temple in Tirupati ahead of the jatara.

Attachment: Gangamma.bmp

This is a contrast-story, perhaps shocking for being placed here, but it seems to me, a tremendously rich temple (and not only a rich one) would also have the duty to look for the needs of the people strugling for survival in its reach.

Suicide by farmers continues

Special Correspondent

Victims of the vicious circle of crop failure, indebtedness

TIRUPATI, May 11: Even a year after the Congress took the reigns of the State amid an alleged agrarian mess created by the TDP regime with its `lop-sided polices', suicide by farmers and rural artisans continues to be reported in the water-starved district.

The latest is the episode of a farmer whose body was found hanging from a tree in his own land holding. What allegedly drove the farmer, Sompalle Siddaiah (48), to suicide was debts to a tune of Rs. 2 lakhs. He was broke when the tomato and mirchi crops he raised on his two-and-a-half-acre land holding in Peddagandlapalle village near Piler withered away with the borewell going dry.

He reportedly sold away his herd of 50 sheep and took up farming on a one-acre land.

He could not succeed even in this.

A dejected Siddaiah, leaving behind his wife and three sons, committed suicide on Monday night.

In yet another debt-driven death, a handloom worker, Chinnabbai (36) of Varadaiahpalem, 60 km from here, ended his life by consuming a pesticide unable to make ends meet allegedly trapped as he was in debts. The impoverished handloom weaver died the next day in the hospital leaving behind his nine-year-old sun and seven-year-old daughter. Varadaiahpalem police maintained that they had no information about the incident till late on Monday night.

Self-immolation bid

In a bizarre incident, two brothers from Irala mandal-- Sudhakar Naidu and Purushotham Naidu - and their wives and kids attempted self-immolation in the Collectorate on Monday -- grievances day. They were allegedly fed up with revenue officials making them run from pillar to post to give them permission to put up a borewell to save their crops. Their attempts were foiled by bystanders.

http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/12/stories/2005051211290300.htm

Pilgrim rush spells trouble for TTD

Staff Reporter
http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/15/stories/2005051508140500.htm

Authorities forced to resort to `Maha laghu darshanam'

TIRUMALA: Unprecedented crowds have been thronging the temple town of Lord Venkateswara, Tirumala, for the past two weeks.

The TTD administration finds itself in a difficult position with the turnout of pilgrims touching its zenith. The arrangements made to meet the needs of the pilgrim crowd during summer have been thrown out of gear. Thought the temple administration is averse to slapping `Maha laghu darsanam' system (where in the pilgrims are allowed to have the darshan of the presiding deity from the dwarapalaka's point) on the pilgrims, it was rather compelled to resort to it on Thursday and Friday nights to clear the rush.

Long queues
According to the temple administration, the waiting time for the pilgrims in the dharma darsanam is put at a staggering 75 hours, whereas the waiting time for the pilgrims opting Rs. 50 sudarsan tokens is put around 52 hours.

Heated arguments with the TTD staff at various cottage allotment counters had become a common phenomenon during the past couple of days. Serpentine queues were witnessed at the massive Vaikuntam queue complexes, Vijaya Bank, Kalyanakatta and the free meals complex. The TTD has dispensed with the VIP break darshan for three days till Monday and has slapped restrictions in the issuance of the cellar tickets.

The traffic police had a tough time regulating the vehicular traffic. All parking slots were filled up and vehicles were seen parked on either sides of the road. Potu workers had to do over-time to ensure that there is no shortage of the laddus.

TTD plans to air-condition Vaikuntam queue complex

Staff Reporter
http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/21/stories/2005052102280900.htm

TIRUMALA: The Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) management has decided to completely air-condition the massive Vaikuntam queue complex (II) for the benefit of the common pilgrims at a cost of Rs.345 lakhs.

23 compartments

This queue complex has 23 spacious compartments where devotees await their turn for darshan of the Lord. Each compartment will be air-conditioned at a cost of Rs. 15 lakhs.

The funds will be raised through donations.

Briefing mediapersons after the TTD Board meeting here on Friday, the Chairman, T. Subbirami Reddy, said the aim was to provide some respite to the poor and ordinary pilgrims who waited for long hours in the queue.

Mr. Reddy said the TTD Trust Board was honouring its promise of keeping the interests of the poor on the top on its agenda.

Plasma TV

The board would provide a 105-cm plasma TV screen in all 23 compartments in the second queue complex at a cost of Rs.2.72 lakhs each, apart from two colour television sets. Popular mythological teleserials (the Ramayana and Sri Krishna) and the Mahabharat would be telecast.

Each compartment would have16 ceiling fans and water coolers. The entire cost of would be borne by Mr.Reddy himself.

The lines stretching out of the queue complexes would be widened and modernised by providing benches at a cost of Rs.1.2 crores.

Choultries to be modernised

Besides, the guest house meant for middle classes and the free choultries would be modernised at a cost of Rs.5.5 crores and Rs.3.5 crores.

This is a contrast-story the same day to the above (investment of millions of dollars for air-conditioning) at the temple:

Hut-dwellers' protest

Special Correspondent
http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/21/stories/2005052109420300.htm

TIRUPATI: The hut-dwellers of Tarakarama Nagar on Thursday held a demonstration in front of the RDO's office here, protesting against the putting up of huts by "unauthorised" persons in Karakambadi. The Government had distributed 6,000 house site pattas to homeless families here.

Temple snips lady barbers
- Gender wars rage in the neighbourhood: hair here, race there

G.S. RADHAKRISHNA
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050522/asp/...ory_4771784.asp
Hyderabad, May 21: Welcome lady devotees, keep off lady barbers.

Women worshippers who want to offer their locks to Lord Balaji have to bear with the “roving eyes” of male barbers after the Tirumala Tirupati Board, which two months ago had decided to appoint 100 lady barbers, suddenly developed cold feet.

Under pressure from a section of priests and unions of male barbers, the temple board yesterday decided against going ahead with the move.

The chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Congress leader T. Subbirami Reddy, said the board had accepted the recommendation of the five-member Agama committee on temple dos and don’ts which forbade appointment of women barbers.

The committee’s point was women, according to Hindu tradition, are forbidden to be in religious service because of their menstrual cycle.

The board’s earlier decision came after women devotees of the lord said they were uncomfortable with male barbers.

K. Rukmini, who visited Tirupati last week and tonsured her head, said she was “very uncomfortable” with the male barbers. “First of all, their eyes keep roving all over our body even as they keep running the razor on our scalp,” said the resident of Medak, about 80 km from Hyderabad.

Poornima Rao, a software engineer who was in Tirupati last month, said she refused to shave her hair as she did not like the look of the 35-year-old barber. “I had my hair cut by my sister and dropped it in the temple box,” she said.

After some instances of “harassment”, the board began employing males over 40 at the kalyana kattas (tonsuring centres) for women.

Punyavati, the chief of the Andhra Pradesh wing of the All India Democratic Women’s Association, said the temple board’s decision was faulty and anti-women.

“The temple has no mechanism to check whether women under menstrual cycle were visiting and allegedly polluting the sanctity of the temple. Then how can a few lady barbers cause harm to the Agama traditions?”

P. Sandhya, president of the Andhra-based Progressive Organisation of Women, wondered why the board went back on its decision after accepting the representations of women worshippers.

“Perhaps, there is something fishy. I think it is not the Agamas which have come in the way but lust for money of the male barbers and their chiefs,” she said.

Over 1,000 male barbers are employed by the temple to serve devotees who come from all corners of the country and demand service at all hours.

Everyday, 5,000 to 10,000 men and around 2,000 women shave their heads as an offering to the deity. “We sold around 1,700 quintals of hair last year,” said the deputy executive officer in charge of the tonsure centres.

Residents of Tirupati say every barber makes as much as Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 in tips and is ready to work for over 10 hours.

“They do not want women to take away a share of their earnings,” said Govind Reddy, a functionary of one of the seven unions operating in the devasthanam.

If India’s richest temple has got in the hair of women devotees, it has decided to keep visitors fresh and cool for darshans. The massive waiting complex of the temple, which has 23 compartments and runs for almost 2 km till the main entrance of the shrine, is to be made air-conditioned.

“It will cost Rs 3.45 crore and take almost eight months to complete the work to make the devotees comfortable as they wait for hours to get a glimpse of the deity,” said A.P.V.N. Sarma, the temple’s executive officer.

During peak seasons, devotees have to wait nearly 48 hours for a darshan.

Any enterprise that deals in large quantities of commodities is wise to hedge their risk by trading in the futures markets. You see, if the price fluctuates in the cash market, and their is an equal position in the futures market, then the loss on the cash side can be offset by a profit on the futures contracts. For example, if the temple knows it needs to buy several tons of rice and there is a risk that the price may rise in six months, then the temple can buy futures contracts for delivery in six months at today's price. If the price does then go up, then they can take delivery of the rice at the price they locked in. If the price drops, then they will have to take a loss on the futures contract, but it is offset by the lower price they get the rice for when they need to purchase the cash commodity. They can liquidate those contracts instead of taking delivery and buy the cash commodity.

TTD plans rituals across country

Staff Reporter , The Hindu

TIRUMALA: The TTD's Dharma Prachara Parishad (DPP) is gearing itself to carry out various religious activities on a large scale all over the country.

Overwhelmed with the response it received from the public to Kalyanotsavams performed at Nellore recently, the DPP wants to conduct them at all the district headquarters in the State and gradually spread it to all the important cities in the country.

It has now come up with fresh proposal aimed at creating spiritual awareness among the University graduates and college students, particularly among the students belonging to SCs and STs. and other socially backward sections.

As a first step in the district, the DPP along with religious personalities belonging to Ramakrishna Mutt is contemplating to organise a four-day workshop on `Dharmik' values and personality development' for the benefit of the tribal youth.

Spiritual awareness

Besides this, to further create spiritual awareness among the tribal children, the DPP has proposed to supply study material containing Sanskrit slokas and extracts from the Bhagawad Gita to about 6,000 children in the State.

The DPP will be equipped with three to four `Prachara Rathams' - a long pending demand placed before the TTD management.