TTD AND DESPIRITUALIZATION

April 2, 2004

TTD, the multi-billion rupees endowment, represents the best temple management system in any shrine in India. But it has also fallen victim to the general trend of increasing commercialization and despiritualization of pilgrim centers.

Black money constitutes only a small fraction of the annual collection at the temple, contrary to popular belief. The income from darsan and seva tickets itself constitutes half the revenue and donations to the free meal scheme add up another 33 crore (330 million) rupees.

The culture of crass commercialism and exploitation that dogs you in Tirumala has been institutionalised by TTD itself. It has made minor services needlessly free even as it milks people who prefer to pay to jump the queue for darsan or sevas. With its eye on revenue and populist policies, TTD has been tinkering with the deity's sleeping time, religious duties and timings, rather than work around the Lord as every temple should.

An exceptional stampede in the temple many years back was attributed by the then Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham to the improper or non-observance of the rituals prescribed by the Agama Sastras. The violation of the proscription on men entering the temple wearing upper garments is prompted by the TTD. This is in sharp contrast to the custom at major temples in Kerala, India.

M.V. Soundar Rajan, secretary, Dharma Rakshana ., Hyderabad, is highly critical of the violation of the Agama Sastras by the TTD and its treating the deity as a mere stone. The famed, delicious laddu prasad, he says, is not even offered to the deity but has been turned into an industry despite strictures by the Justice Kondiah Committee report 12 years ago.

He further points out that the deity has to suffer the unnecessary and heavy diamond crown besides the heat of focused electric lights. All sevas are compacted to be completed by dawn to facilitate darsan by pilgrims while ignoring the importance of Ushas Kalam (the period starting at 4.30 a.m).

TTD is trying to please all, especially the state government of Andhra Pradesh, except the presiding deity it thrives on and claims to serve.

"The devotion and pilgrimage by millions increase the power of the deity while violation of the Agama Sastras will deplete its power and wealth," Soundar Rajan points out. One result of rabid commercialism and brazen doubling of displayed rates of eatables and beverages is frequent scuffles between indignant devotees and vendors in the massive Vaikuntam Queue Complex.

While its administrative and educational institutions could have been managed better, the TTD's medical institutions, such as the one for the handicapped, are doing yeoman's service.

Its flaws apart, TTD continues to cater to the needs of millions of devotees who throng the temple every year to seek help for their mundane worries and problems, propagating further the legend of this God of Kaliyug.

http://www.lifepositive.com/Spirit/world-religions/hinduism/tirupati.asp

Jahnava Nitai Das · April 2, 2004

TTD, the multi-billion rupees endowment, represents the best temple management system in any shrine in India.

The Tirumala temple city is one of the only clean cities in India due solely to the TTD management. All accomodations and food offered by the TTD are subsidized so that pilgrims can receive these benefits at a discount to their real price. The Tirupati temple is one of the few temples in India where the priests will not harass you for money, and will even be reluctant to take your money unless you give it in a discreet manner.

The TTD is also using the hundi collections to build thousands of Balaji temples in villages throughout Andhra Pradesh.

The TTD has built a very large japa meditation hall next to the temple and pilgrims are encouraged to sit and chant "om venkateshaya namah". Throughout the day, outside the temple, loud speakers can be heard requesting pilgrims to visit the meditation hall to chant the names of Venkateshwara.

But it has also fallen victim to the general trend of increasing commercialization and despiritualization of pilgrim centers.

These writers don't know what despiritualization is. They think development is despiritualization. This is because they don't understand that everything can be used in the service of Bhagavan.

Black money constitutes only a small fraction of the annual collection at the temple, contrary to popular belief.

One of the stupidest arguments against the TTD is that a lot of their hundi collection comes from people who run liquor shops or who have illegal money. What can a temple do if some unknown person wants to put money in the temple hundi?

The income from darsan and seva tickets itself constitutes half the revenue and donations to the free meal scheme add up another 33 crore (330 million) rupees.

The foolish author considers receiving voluntary donations for free food distribution to pilgrims as "despiritualization". The TTD doesn't request anyone to donate towards their food distribution programs. Thousands of donors voluntarily approach the temple and request to partake in that seva.

It has made minor services needlessly free even as it milks people who prefer to pay to jump the queue for darsan or sevas.

One one side the author complains when the temple makes a service free, and on the other side the author complains when the TTD charges for other services.

With its eye on revenue and populist policies, TTD has been tinkering with the deity's sleeping time, religious duties and timings, rather than work around the Lord as every temple should.

Every temple should accomodate the pilgrims visiting it (this is the purpose the Lord takes avatara as a deity). In the times of Ramanuja when there was no road to the temple and when the temple was surrounded by dense forest only a few people would visit each month. Today the situation is different, where hundreds can die in a stampede if the queue is halted for a long period of time.

An exceptional stampede in the temple many years back was attributed by the then Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham to the improper or non-observance of the rituals prescribed by the Agama Sastras.

There is a constant fight between Kanchi Shankaracharya and Vaishnava Swamis (such as Chinna Jeeyar Swami) over which Agamas the temple should follow and whether or not the seva is being performed properly. It is just politics between Vaishnava and Smarta religious parties. Because the temple is rich they want their religious party to control the seva. There are thousands of ancient Vishnu temples that are poor where the Agamas are not being followed, but these Acharyas don't care for those temples.

The violation of the proscription on men entering the temple wearing upper garments is prompted by the TTD. This is in sharp contrast to the custom at major temples in Kerala, India.

Tirupati is not in Kerala. In Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh there is no ban on wearing shirts in temples. This argument is just stupid. Its like saying, "In Churches in America they allow shoes in the church, so why doesn't the Tirupati temple allow shoes in the temple?" Why compare Tirupati temple to temples in Kerala? The Kerala temples are not worshipped according to the same Agama-shastra as the Tirupati temple. Temples such as Guruvayur are not Vaidika temples, they follow Tantra Agama with no connection to a Vaishnava lineage. Why compare the two?

The Vaishnava temples in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh which follow the same Agama shastra as Tirupati all allow people to enter the temple wearing shirts. Thus we should conclude it is simply a cultural matter, where Kerala differs from other states regarding temple visits.

M.V. Soundar Rajan, secretary, Dharma Rakshana ., Hyderabad, is highly critical of the violation of the Agama Sastras by the TTD and its treating the deity as a mere stone. The famed, delicious laddu prasad, he says, is not even offered to the deity but has been turned into an industry despite strictures by the Justice Kondiah Committee report 12 years ago.

The procedure for offering in temples is one item can be offered and the entire prepared quantity is considered prasadam. This is followed in nearly all temples in India. You can not expect the TTD to bring in 100,000 laddus into the temple Garbha Griha for offering each one.

He further points out that the deity has to suffer the unnecessary and heavy diamond crown...

A diamond crown for the deity who holds the entire universe on his head (as Ananta Sesha) is not a burden.

All sevas are compacted to be completed by dawn to facilitate darsan by pilgrims while ignoring the importance of Ushas Kalam (the period starting at 4.30 a.m).

Foolish people are more concerned with timing rituals than with serving the bhaktas and pilgrims visiting the Lord. The Lord says in countless places in Shastra that He prefers the service of His bhaktas to His own service.

Its flaws apart, TTD continues to cater to the needs of millions of devotees who throng the temple every year...

Remember this is all done in a country where corruption is the largest domestic product. The fact that the TTD has remained without signs of major corruption, and that they have maintained the environment in Tirumala better than any city in India should also be taken into consideration.