The first meeting of the newly constituted Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board, chaired by B.R. Naidu, was held on Monday at the Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala. The board deliberated on 80 key issues and passed several resolutions aimed at maintaining the sanctity of the temple and improving facilities for devotees.

Key resolutions passed include ban on political activities, darshan time reduction, non-Hindu employees check, enhancement of Tirupati laddu quality, safety of TTD deposits and special darshan for locals.

According to the resolutions, a strict ban was imposed on political discussions or statements within Tirumala to preserve its spiritual atmosphere. Violators, including propagators, will face legal action. Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and advanced technology, the TTD aims to reduce darshan waiting times under the Sarva Darshan scheme from 20-30 hours to just 2-3 hours.

A proposal to verify and review the roles of non-Hindu employees was passed to ensure they are not engaged in core temple activities. The board approved the use of superior-quality ghee in the preparation of the iconic Srivari Laddus following public concerns over ingredient standards. A decision was deferred to the next board meeting to withdraw TTD deposits from private banks and move them to nationalized banks for enhanced security.

Locals of Tirupati will now have special darshan on the first Tuesday of every month. The dumping yard at Tirumala will be cleared within the next three to four months.

The TTD resolved to revoke the Tourism Corporations’ darshan quota after complaints of irregularities in issuing Special Entry Darshan (SED) tickets. The Annaprasadam Complex will introduce a new daily recipe to enhance the dining experience for devotees. A 10% hike in “Bahumanam” was approved for employees, including regular and outsourced staff, who rendered special services during the annual Brahmotsavam.

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