The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to use Basmati rice to add flavour to the Anna Prasadams of God Venkateswara on Tirumala Hills. The TTD Trust Board, which met at Tirumala today, took the decision to this effect.
Briefing newsmen on the deliberations, TTD chairman B Karunakar Reddy said the move to use the Basmati variety instead of the fine varieties of rice available in the State as of now was aimed at further improving the quality of the wide range of Anna Prasadams being prepared daily in the temple for offering it to God and later for distribution to devotees.

SRINIVASA MANGAPURAM : In an effort to develop Srinivasa Mangapuram keeping in view the steady increase in the number of pilgrims visiting the temple of Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy, 13 km from here, the TTD decided to lay a four-lane road from Chandragiri at a cost of Rs 5 crore. This would improve the road connectivity linking the village to the Tirupati-Chittoor highway for the convenience of pilgrims.
Besides, a 42-room guest house to be named after the famous Vijayanagara King Sri Krishna Devaraya will be constructed at a cost of Rs 3.16 crore there.

Another decision taken by the board was to develop the TTD Information Centre at Bangalore with an outlay of Rs 12 crore. The complex will have one more kalyanamandampam and a puja mandiram. It was also decided to construct a Rs 5-crore building for housing the TTD Silpa Kalasala here and install the statues of Alwars, saints and others proponents of Vaishanavism in between the galleries around the temple on Tirumala Hills. The statues of Anantalwar, Annamayya, Tarigonda Vengamamba and others will be erected to enhance the spiritual ambience.
The board also decided to pay 30 percent of the basic pay as non-practising allowance to medical officers working in its hospitals. It also resolved to appoint the students of its Veda Pathasala as Veda Parayanamdars in TTD temples after their completion of the courses in the Vedas and qualified for the post.

Sri Ravishankar deserved special entry: TTD chief
TTD chairman B Karunakar Reddy decried the furore over the entry of Art of Living guru Sri Sri Ravishankar through the Mahadwaram for the darshan of Venkateswara Swamy on Tirumala Hills.
Speaking after the TTD Trust Board meeting today, Reddy said there was absolutely nothing wrong in allowing the spiritual leader through the Mahadwaram as the board had passed a resolution unanimously in 2004 giving him the special privilege. As a token of gesture for the outstanding contribution of Sri Ravishankar to spiritualism and also keeping in view his wide following the world over the TTD accorded the special status, he explained.
Not satisfied, the mediapersons persisted with a volley of questions. It turned into a heated argument between the media and the chairman as other officials looked on. Reddy said an inquiry by TTD executive officer KV Ramanachary had been ordered into allowing some other persons along with Ravishankar which he admitted was "not correct". Based on the report a. suitable action would be taken against the erring officials, he said.

OTHER DECISIONS

• 42-room guest house to be built at Srinivasa Mangapuram
• Kalyanamandapam and puja mandiram to be added to the TTD Information Centre in Bangalore
• New building for Silpa Kalasala on Tirumala
• Statues of saints, poets and Atwars to be erected around Srivari temple
• Payment of non-practice allowance to doctors
• Appointment of Veda Parayanamdars

No VIP passes for darshan on New Year Day
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided not to issue VIP passes for darshan on New Year Day.
The TTD Trust Board, which met here today, resolved to discontinue the usual practice of issuing VIP passes to facilitate prominent personalities, officials and non-ficials to have darshan on January 1.
Speaking to mediapersons after the trust board meeting, chairman B Karunakar Reddy said common pilgrims would be allowed first for darshan at 3 am after the pre-dawn rituals on that day. "Keeping in view the unpleasant happening on Vaikuntha Ekadasi, we decided to allow the common pilgrims first and depending on the position cellar entry tickets will be issued for darshan of VIPs later in the evening," he said.
On Vaikuntha Ekadasi day, with officials issuing the 'cellar tickets' in large numbers the common pilgrims were forced to wait in the queue for hours together. The irate pilgrims repeatedly broke the barricades and there was utter confusion and disorder. Mirny pilgrims, unable to withstand the ordeal, returned without darshan while others confined in the Queue Complex were subjected to lot of inconveniences.