Tirupati: The ruling of the Hyderabad High Court directing the TTD to restore the services of retired mirasi archakas (hereditary priests) of the Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple at Tiruchanoor, poses a major problem for the TTD management. It will now have to figure out how to accommodate the retired priests in their previous posts, which are currently occupied by hereditary priests from four of the mirasidar archaka families. The alternative is to create new posts for the old priests.
The Hyderabad High Court has set aside the decision of the TTD fixing the retirement age of mirasi archakas at 65. The verdict stated that TTD had no jurisdiction to pass such resolutions by comparing mirasi archakas with other employees and directed the TTD to forthwith restore the services of the affected archakas as sambhavana archakas (priests surviving on devotees donation) in the temple and allow them to discharge their duties as long as they are physically fit. In May this year, some archakas who had crossed 65 years of age were retired and replaced with mirasi archakas from the respective archaka families of Tirupathamma, Peddinti, Paidipalli and Gollapalli.
While Venugopala Deekshitulu was appointed chief priest of Tirumala temple in place of Ramana Deekshitulu, two more archakas, A.B. Seshadri and M.G. Murali, were retired from Tiruchanoor temple and were replaced with other archakas from the respective mirasidars families.
The archakas who were newly appointed as chief priests, have been serving for the past six months in the shrines run by the TTD that includes Tiruchanoor, Govindaraja Swamy temple and Tirumala. But, after the High Court’s verdict in favour of mirasi archakas, the TTD finds itself in a spot as there are now two sets of mirasi archakas currently serving at each temple.
Sources say that all the retired archakas are going to meet TTD Endowments officer Anil Kumar Singhal soon and submit the High Court judgement. They are hoping to get back their previous positions in the TTD shrines at Tirumala, Tirupati and Tiruchanoor immediately.
Meanwhile, Mr Singhal spoke to the media at Tirumala on Friday and said he has not received a copy of any ruling, but soon after receiving the copy from the High Court, the TTD management will discuss with its legal panel what further steps to take. According to sources in the TTD, the temple administration is going to challenge the order in the Supreme Court.
