5/5 Abhisheka p. 2 years ago on Google
Tirumala
Tirupati
Devasthanams
(TTD)
is
an
independent
trust
which
manages
the
temples
including
the
Tirumala
Venkateswara
Temple
in
Andhra
Pradesh.
The
trust
oversees
the
operations
and
finances
of
the
second
richest
and
the
most
visited
religious
center
in
the
world.[1]
It
is
also
involved
in
various
social,
religious,
literary
and
educational
activities.
TTD
is
headquartered
at
Tirupati
and
employs
about
16,000
people.
TTD
was
established
in
1932
as
a
result
of
the
TTD
Act
of
1932.
According
to
the
act
administration
of
the
temple
was
vested
in
a
committee
of
seven
members
and
overseen
by
a
paid
commissioner
appointed
by
the
Madras
Government.
Advising
the
committee
were
two
advisory
councils
–
one
composed
of
priests
and
temple
administrators
to
aid
the
committee
with
the
operations
of
the
Tirumala
temple,
and
another
composed
of
farmers
for
advice
on
Tirumala's
land
and
estate
transactions.[3]
The
Andhra
Pradesh
Charitable
and
Hindu
Religious
Institution
and
Endowments
Act
(1969),
sections
85
to
91,
expanded
the
provisions
of
TTD.
The
number
of
trustees
was
expanded
from
five
to
eleven
with
compulsory
representation
from
certain
communities.
Apart
from
the
responsibilities
defined
in
the
previous
act,
Devasthanam
was
obliged
to
promote
the
study
of
Indian
languages
and
propagate
Hindu
Dharma
by
research,
teaching,
training
and
literature
creation.[3]
The
A.P.
Charitable
&
Hindu
Religious
Institutions
&
Endowments
Act
(1987)
superseded
the
1979
act.
The
Board
of
Trustees'
membership
was
expanded
from
a
maximum
of
eleven
to
fifteen
and
the
hereditary
rights
of
temple
priests
and
their
right
to
garner
a
share
of
the
hundi
proceeds
were
abolished.
After
increased
pressure
from
the
priests
over
a
long
period,[4]
the
AP
government
made
an
amendment
to
the
act
in
2006,
to
discontinue
these
two
controversial
clauses.
It
is
mandatory
for
non-Hindus
to
sign
a
declaration
form
before
entering
the
hill
temple,
stating
that
they
have
faith
in
the
presiding
deity,
Lord
Venkateswara
TTD
has
almost
all
the
departments
that
would
be
in
a
government,
including
production
(laddus),
engineering
(dams
and
roads),
water
supply,
human
resources,
transport,
procurement
and
marketing,
finance
and
accounting,
public
relations,
information
technology,
forest
and
gardens,
educational
institutions
and
hospitals,
revenue
and
general
administration
The
food
offerings
as
"Annaprasadams"
are
being
undertaken
by
TTD
in
a
massive
way
in
the
Matrusri
Tarigonda
Vengamamba
Annaprasadam
Complex,
donated
by
Matsuri
Tarigonda
Ananta
Koti
Raju
at
Tirumala,
in
all
the
waiting
queue
lines
and
compartments
of
Vaikuntam
Queue
Complex
I
and
II,
footpath
routes
etc.
In
Tirupati
and
Tiruchanur
also
the
distribution
of
free
food
as
"Annaprasadam"
is
being
made
to
not
less
than
15,000
devotees.
