RAJAHMUNDRY: Even as the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams claim that Lord Venkateswara’s jewellery are safe and secure in the temple, precious ornaments donated by Vijayanagara emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya, Pratapa Rudra and others remain untraced.
Back in 2010, Elurubased social activist B.K.S.R. Ayyangar filed an RTI application seeking deta-ils of ornaments donated by Sri Krishnadevaraya and others.
In reply, the TTD authorities at that time said that there were jewels of earlier centuries but expressed their inability to confirm which were donated by which king as the information was not available in the temple treasury records.
However, they mentioned in their reply, that there were records of some jewels and their donors. They also informed that they will seek the help of state archaeology authorities to identify the jewels.
Subsequently, a team of officers from state archaeology department visited the temple and inspected the ornaments for nearly 20 days.
When the activist approached the state archaeology authorities through an RTI query seeking their findings, the authorities responded by saying that the ornaments with the description of their size, weight, shape and others found in the inscriptions on walls of temple were not tallying with that of the ornaments secured in the temple treasury, indicating that the ornaments are either non-existing or re-shaped or lifted.
Ramana terminated from Agama advisory committee
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust board has taken another controversial decision aga-inst former pradhana arch-aka A.V. Ramana Deeksh-itulu by terminating him from the Agama Advisory Commitee. He was replaced by new pradhana archaka Venugopala Deekshitulu.
TTD trust board chairm-an Putta Sudhakar Yadav said, “Ramana Deekshitulu has been replaced by Venu-gopala Deekshitulu. Since he has retired as pradhana archaka, we are implementing this. The board has passed the resolution regarding the same”.
Responding to DC, TTD EO Anil Kumar Singhal said “He was not terminated, the decision was taken just for the convenience of the ritual procedure.”
