What is Tirumala Tirupati (TTD) Controversy all about ?
Ever since the TTD Board has decided to do away with the priests above 65 years and has sacked the Chief priest Ramana Deekshitulu, the controversial priest has been leveling allegations and accusations against the TTD board that controls India’s richest temple and the ruling TDP. Among his several allegations, the top allegation was missing of a pink diamond belonging to the temple shrine which he claimed that it was recently auctioned in Geneva for whopping Rs 500 Crore.
TTD EO Anil Kumar Singhal has responded on the whole controversy and stated that the TTD board is ready to publicly display the jewels amid heavy security. Strongly responding to Ramana Deekshitulu’s series of allegations which he had not raised when he was the head priest, former IAS and Vice Chairman of AP Planning Commission Kutumba Rao too stated that not a single penny of the Tirumala Devasthanam funds is misused. Clarifying on the allegation of Ramana Deekshitulu that Rs 10 Crore of Tirumala funds is diverted, he set the record straight that the funds were used for the development of Onti Mitta Temple in Kadapa that was brought under the umbrella of TTD and its development is a responsibility of the Tirumala temple shrine.
The head priest of one of the holiest shrines in the country, Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala, Ramana Deekshitulu, has fired several broadsides at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of corruption and violating the laid down scriptures. Among the most serious charges made by the priest is the disappearance of some rarest of rare pieces of jewellery, including the Pink Raj diamond which was offered to the deity by the Maharaja of Mysore.
According to Ramana Deekshitulu, this diamond surfaced at an auction conducted by the reputed auction house, Sotheby’s in Geneva last November. He also said that several other items of jewellery donated by the Chola and Pallava kings had gone missing. These are serious allegations which merit a proper investigation.
The head priest referred to a report prepared by an IPS officer on ways and means of ensuring the temple’s jewellery items safe. One of the loopholes in the system pointed out in the report, according to the priest, was that the custodian of the Lord’s jewels was one individual. The issue of government control over temples and temple lands has been resisted for a long time, but Chandrababu has come increasingly under fire over this matter because of the aggressive manner in which he has gone about things. The Sadavarti lands controversy is a case in point.
CM Chandrababu Naidu is serious on the whole TTD issue who ordered for an internal probe. He directed the TTD board members and other concerned officials to respond and clarify on the allegations raised by Ramana Deekshitulu. Naidu is expected to respond on the issue very soon.
Priests unhappy with Boards decision
TTD under the Chandrababu Naidu government has become the hub of controversies. Devotees are fuming at the contentious decisions being taken by the TTD board. The latest decision taken by the board on Wednesday relates to fixing a retirement age for the priests working at the shrine.
Devotees are upset with the TTD chairman, Sudhakar Yadav’s decision which has impacted the lives and functioning of several priests of the shrine. The head priest of the Lord Venkateswara Swamy shrine, Ramana Deekshitulu, has asserted that the priests would fight the TTD board’s violative decisions legally.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the head priest has been served a show cause notice by the Executive Officer of TTD. Responding to this development, the head priest Ramana Deekshitulu observed that the TTD had no authority in the matter.
Former Head Priest of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Ramana Deekshitulu lambasted the Andhra Pradesh government and questioned why the Tirumala temple kitchen (potu) was closed for 25 days. He clearly pointed out that it was against the Aagama Shashtras to close the kitchen for such a long period. He termed this act as sin against the presiding God.
Allegations by Ramana Deekshitulu
According to the head priest of the Tirumala shrine, Ramana Deekshitulu, the TTD Board was brazenly violating traditional Hindu scriptural guidelines in a number of aspects. Talking to the media Ramana Deekshitulu questioned the intention behind closing the kitchen and asked was it only for repairs. “If it was only for repairing, did they consult anybody having proper knowledge of Aagama Shashtra. It was a sin committed against the presiding deity. Offering unholy prasadam prepared outside the kitchen was a greater sin,” he said.
The former Head Priest said that the temple kitchen was constructed around 1150 AD and it was in perfect condition. “But the kitchen was closed for 25 days to remove some stones from the wall and also some boulders from the floor in the name of repairs,” he pointed out. He questioned what was beneath the boulders.
He brushed aside the state of TTD Board that the pink diamond adorned by the presiding deity had broken due to coins thrown from a distance by the devotees and said that the diamond was not so fragile. To say that a diamond can broken to bits by coins thrown by devotees was a clear stretch, say several observers.
In a controversial reply about the diamond, he said “A similar kind of diamond came up for auction held by Sotheby’s in Geneva recently and there are allegations that it was from the Tirumala temple.” He demanded probe into the different corrupt and disruptive practices in the temple.
Ramana Deekshitulu Demands CBI Probe
Former Head Priest of TTD said that he would standby the allegations that he made against the repairs of Tirumala temple kitchen (potu). Speaking to media here today, he demanded CBI probe into his accusations and was ready to prove all that he had said. He once again stated that the kitchen was closed for 25 days against the Aagama Shashtra and in the name of repairs some unholy activities were conducted. He called upon the TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal to come clean over the pink diamond issue. He expressed his anger over the EO’s statement that there was no pink diamond on the deity it was just pink ruby.
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