Tirupati, July 08: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil inaugurated the massive Nitya Annadanam complex which can feed about 75,000 to one lakh devotees each day at Tirumala on Thursday.
The massive complex has been built by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams at a cost of Rs 33 crore and has four massive dining halls, which can seat a thousand persons each, at a time.
The President, along with her husband Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat and other family members celebrated her 46th wedding anniversary by offering prayers to Lord Venkateswara at the temple. Ms Pratibha Patil had been accompanied by Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister N Kiran kumar Reddy and Tirupati MLA K Chiranjeevi during her trip.
Besides the Nitya Annadanam complex, the President also launched the free ‘roti-sabzi’ scheme for pilgrims from North India at Tirumala and also unveiled a state-of-the art Roti Making machine which can produce 2000 rotis every hour.
The Annadanam complex is part of the TTD’s free food scheme which was introduced on April 6, 1985. The Annadanam complex will be open for 12 hours a day.
In view of every increasing pilgrim influx to the holy hill shrine, the number of pilgrims consuming free meals has also considerably increased year by year. On an average, in a year, over one crore pilgrims consume free meals in the Annadanam Complex of TTD.
Apart from providing the South Indian rice meals, TTD has also made arrangement for providing Roti and sabzi to the devotees from the North. It has purchased rothi making machine which can prepare 2000 rothis in an hour. Apart from this, state – of –art of machinery has also been installed in this massive complex.
The new Annadanam complex will have a capacity to facilitate free food to 75,000 to one lakh pilgrims daily.
——Agencies