The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has resolved to introduce ‘Navaneetha seva’, a new seva aimed at producing indigenous ghee required for the preparation of daily prasadams offered as ‘naivedhyam’’ to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara.
The decision was taken at the maiden meeting of TTD Specified Authority (SA) on Friday.
Briefing the media about the deliberations, TTD Executive Officer and SA Chairman K.S. Jawahar Reddy along with Addl EO AV Dharma Reddy and SA Convener said that about 30 kg of ghee was required for the preparation of prasadams necessitating an estimated 1,200 litres of milk every day.
The meeting, which felt that it would have to nurture at least 250 to 300 cows for the purpose, resolved to acquire seven noble breeds of indigenous cows symbolically representing the Seven Hills of Tirumala and raise them atop the hill town. The TTD, which had already received 25 Gir cows in donation, also resolved to accept pure desi ghee in the form of donation from the devotees.
The TTD, which has embarked on a mission of protecting the desi cows, use of cow-based products inside the temple and promotion of Panchagavya products, also has inked a pact with SV Veterinary University in Tirupati with regard to the setting up of a cattle feed manufacturing plant and embryo transfer technology and is now contemplating the sale of agarbattis made out of organic products from August 15 along with other Panchagavya products, soaps, shampoo, tooth picks and floor cleaners in the coming months Dr. Reddy said.
Temple development
The meeting decided to take up development works at various temples all across the State with SriVani trust funds under the guidance of Sri Tridandi Sriman Narayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar at a cost of ₹8.94 crore. The works would be executed through the State Endowments Department. As part of this, the meeting sanctioned ₹6 crore for the renovation of the ancient temple of Sri Vitaleswara swamy at Valmikipuram in Chittoor and a grant of ₹80 lakh to Sita Ramaswmay temple at Gundemadakala village in Nellore.
Other important decisions include deployment of electric vehicles on Tirumala ghat roads, procurement of 35 battery operated cars on a trial basis as part of its ambitious plan of protecting the green environs of the hill temple, procurement of CCTV cameras and X-Ray baggage scanners, purchase of a sophisticated Cathlab and heart -lung machine at SV Paediatric hospital in BIRRD, modernising of its printing press which transacts a business of over ₹35 crore to ₹40 crore annually, revamping of the editorial board of its Sapthagiri monthly magazine and printing 15 lakh calendars for the year 2022 along with eight lakh deluxe diaries and 2 lakh small diaries.
