Tirumala: Devotees from Agency areas hail TTD for providing special darshan facility

Tirumala: TTD Additional EO AV Dharma Reddy assured more and more support from the TTD to see the 502 temples built in weaker section colonies including SCs, STs and fishermen become vibrant to intensify Dharma Pracharam in the colonies.

Addressing the devotees who arrived from the Agency areas Addateegala, Rampachodavaram etc. in East Godavari district for darshan, at Madhava Nilayam (PAC 2) in Tirumala on Tuesday evening, the Additional EO said Srivari Brahmotsava Darshan was provided to devotees belonging to weaker sections living in the colonies where the TTD in association with AP Endowment department and Vijayawada-based NGO Samarasta Seva Foundation (SSF) constructed temples for Dharma Pracharam.

At the behest of TTD chairman Y V Subba Reddy, the TTD under `Divya Darshan' decided to provide the special darshan during Brahmotsavam at Tirumala temple enabling about 7,000 people from the weaker section colonies to have darshan of Lord Venkateswara during Brahmotsavams last year and continued its gesture for the 10-day Vaikunta Ekadasi-Dwadasi festival at Tirumala temple, this year also. Accordingly, the devotees from the colonies are being brought daily in batches for darshan and also Uttara Dwara Darshanam from January 13, he explained.

Reddy said the TTD did not stop with the construction of the 502 temples in the weaker section colonies in the 13 districts in the State but continued it support in various ways like providing special training in Archakatvam to the select from the colonies for performing poojas daily in the temples and also conducting rituals and religious celebrations, based on the shrines. This was to boost up Hindu Dharma Pracharam and to strengthen the weaker sections belief on our age-old Hindu religion.

"The mission behind this programme is to ensure that there will not be any religious conversions of the vulnerable weaker sections in backward areas more so in the interior places," he said affirming that in the coming days, the TTD will take up its activities with renewed vigour covering the 502 colonies. SSF senior functionary Syam Prasad said those who could not have darshan of the Lord during the Brahmotsvams were chosen for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan to offer prayers to Lord Venkate swara. The devotees who spoke thanked the TTD for its gesture and said that the darshan of Lord which was their maiden darshan thrilled them and boosted their spiritual morale. They said that they would share their experience with other residents in the colonies to inspire them to take up Dharma Pracharam with renewed efforts. Deputy EOs Harindranath, Bhaskar, SSF representatives Jaganmohan Reddy, Indira Devi, Sudhakar and others were present.