Gali Janardhan Reddy presented diamond-studded crown to Lord Venkateswara

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Sri Venkatesa BhakthAs :

 

Please enjoy the pictures from the SamarpaNam of

the latest Crown to Sarva VedAnta Vedhyan ,

the crown Jewel among the AchAryaas ,

SrI Sapta Gireesan , the eternal light

on the sacred hill .

 

Thank you Sri Balaji for sharing this beautiful

image .

 

NamO SrI VenkatEsAya ,

V.Sadagopan

 

TIRUPATI: Karnataka tourism minister and Bellary mine baron Gali Janardhan

Reddy will probably be better known for something else: with an offering

 

 

of a diamond-studded crown worth Rs 45 crore, he became the biggest donor

to Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati since the Vijayanagara kings 400 years ago.

 

The 20-kg stunner was a ``thanksgiving'' gesture, the minister said.

Sources added that 2kg of `aparanji (pure)' gold went into its making,

besides 70,000 diamonds weighing ,000 carats. The 2.5-ft crown has a huge

890-carat emerald from Africa engraved n the centre which alone costs around

Rs 10 crore.

The crown will be placed the Lord's idol during Abhishekam seva on Friday

mrning. It was earlier kept in the Vaibhavotsava Mandapam in Tirumala and

special pujas were performed. After a ritual called Sahasra Deepalankara

seva, it was taken around on a procession along with the deity, Lord

Malayappa Swamy. Around 7pm, the crown was taken inside the sanctum

sanctorum.

 

Keertilal Jewellers of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu took nine months to fashion

the crown.

 

There are no records of more expensive donations to the temple and Gali's

donation is considered as the costliest gift offered to the Lord after the

Vijayanagara kings in the 16th century. The Vijayanagara kings ruled from

Hampi not far from modern day Bellary.

 

With this offering, the total number of crowns placed with the Lord has

gone up to seven. This precious crown has been added to the jewel treasury

of Lord which holds over 11 tonnes of gold ornaments and vessels.

 

``I am in this position only with the blessings of Lord Venkateswara. This

is only a small offering to the Lord. I believe in Madhava seva (service to

the Lord),'' said Gali, who owns several iron ore mines.

The minister said his Brahmani Steels, once it starts operation, would

employ 25,000 people. ``This I consider as manava seva (service to

mankind),'' he said. Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Reddy's son Jagan has

a large stake in Brahmani Steel that is coming up in the Andhra chief

minister's home district.