Tirupati, February 06: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the chief custodian of the world famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala, seems to be heading for another controversy with its decision to hand over Srivari temple and eight other ancient temples under its management to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The proposal was mooted in the TTD Specified Authority (TTDSA)’s meeting on January 20 and was followed up with a letter to the Principal Secretary, Culture, AP.
Explaining the rationale behind the proposal, TTD Executive Officer IYR Krishna Rao, in the letter, says the Tirumala temple is among the 108 Divya Kshetrams in the country. Citing the inscriptions on the temple walls which establish the existence of the temple from ancient times, Rao emphasises the need for protecting and preserving the inscriptions. The Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy temple at Srinivasa Mangapuram is already under the ASI and that has in no way affected the TTD in managing the temple and performing daily rituals, he explains.
Raising another ground, Rao says except the Tirumala temple all other temples are situated in the municipal or panchayat limits. The small, relevant structures that surround the temples and dot the vicinity giving the area a historic touch are now under threat due to growing commercial and residential activities.
Reiterating the same at a media conference on Friday, Krishna Rao said the objective was to preserve the ancient heritage for the benefit of future generations. “It will help preserve the art and archeticture, sculpture and the temple structure itself, in its very state for the future generations. Handing over the temple to the ASI will in no way affect the TTD’s administration of the temple,” he said. Ensuring proper coordination with the ASI for a smooth transition and steps to avoid communication gap or delay in permissions, Krishna Rao said if necessary an ASI unit could be set up at Tirumala. The TTD engineering staff were not trained in maintaining historical structures while the ASI was well-experienced in the job, he said.
–Agencies