Agama Shastra backs TTD’s demand for flight ban over Tirumala temple
2 March 2025 9:03 PM IST2 March 2025 9:03 PM IST
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams urges the Centre to ban flights over Tirumala temple, citing Agama Shastra and religious sanctity concerns
A senior priest at the temple explained that the Agamas speak of “Aroopa Darshana,” a concept where divine beings, including gods and Gandharvas, are believed to offer formless worship to Lord Venkateswara from the heavens. “The scriptures state that no object — including aircraft — should pass through this sacred space, as it would symbolically disrupt the spiritual connection between the deity and the celestial beings.”
Tirupati: The long-standing debate over declaring the Tirumala temple area a no-fly zone has resurfaced following a renewed appeal by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, urging the enforcement of flight restrictions over the sacred site.
In a letter to Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ramamohan Naidu, TTD chairman BR Naidu urged the Centre to prohibit aerial activity over the Tirumala hills to protect the spiritual sanctity of the temple. “The request draws on principles from the Agama Shastra and the religious sentiments of devotees”, he claimed.
Naidu also noted that restricting the airspace would prevent unauthorised aerial movements, ensuring the site’s safety.
The appeal is claimed to be rooted in the Agama Shastra — ancient scriptures that dictate temple rituals and architecture. The Tirumala temple follows the Vaikhanasa Agama, which prescribes strict rules to preserve the sanctity of the deity and the spiritual atmosphere surrounding the temple.
These texts regard the sanctum sanctorum, or Ananda Nilayam, as a link between the earthly realm and the celestial world, it is argued.
A senior priest at the temple explained that the Agamas speak of “Aroopa Darshana,” a concept where divine beings, including gods and Gandharvas, are believed to offer formless worship to Lord Venkateswara from the heavens.
“The scriptures state that no object — including aircraft — should pass through this sacred space, as it would symbolically disrupt the spiritual connection between the deity and the celestial beings”, the priest claimed.
The priest argued that theTirumala hills are considered a divine realm, with the skies above the sanctum viewed as a sacred pathway for celestial beings. Physical obstructions, such as helicopters or planes, are seen as a violation of this spiritual order.
The Agamas, it is said, also stress on preserving the temple’s peaceful environment. The priest pointed out that noise and vibrations from low-flying aircraft interfere with rituals like Abhishekam, Naivedyam and sevas, during which Vedic chants and hymns are performed. “These rituals must remain undisturbed by external sounds or movements,” he said.
This is not the first time the TTD has raised the issue. The board has repeatedly petitioned the civil aviation ministry, with similar requests made under previous governments. In 2016, the Andhra Pradesh government supported the proposal, but it was rejected due to concerns about its impact on flight operations at Tirupati airport, which already faces terrain-related challenges.
Former civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had made it clear, a while ago, that it was not possible to declare Tirumala a no-fly-zone, under the present civil aviation rules. However, he said efforts would be made to prevent flights from passing directly over the temple as a mark of respect to religious sentiments.
The civil aviation ministry reiterated this position last year, acknowledging the temple’s religious significance while highlighting the need to balance spiritual concerns with airspace management.
Against this backdrop, the latest appeal by the TTD has gained attention, with civil aviation minister Ramamohan Naidu, representing the Telugu Desam Party, seen as someone who might push the demand forward, given his party’s alliance with the BJP-led NDA government.
In a letter to Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ramamohan Naidu, TTD chairman BR Naidu urged the Centre to prohibit aerial activity over the Tirumala hills to protect the spiritual sanctity of the temple. “The request draws on principles from the Agama Shastra and the religious sentiments of devotees”, he claimed.
Naidu also noted that restricting the airspace would prevent unauthorised aerial movements, ensuring the site’s safety.
The appeal is claimed to be rooted in the Agama Shastra — ancient scriptures that dictate temple rituals and architecture. The Tirumala temple follows the Vaikhanasa Agama, which prescribes strict rules to preserve the sanctity of the deity and the spiritual atmosphere surrounding the temple.
These texts regard the sanctum sanctorum, or Ananda Nilayam, as a link between the earthly realm and the celestial world, it is argued.
A senior priest at the temple explained that the Agamas speak of “Aroopa Darshana,” a concept where divine beings, including gods and Gandharvas, are believed to offer formless worship to Lord Venkateswara from the heavens.
“The scriptures state that no object — including aircraft — should pass through this sacred space, as it would symbolically disrupt the spiritual connection between the deity and the celestial beings”, the priest claimed.
The priest argued that theTirumala hills are considered a divine realm, with the skies above the sanctum viewed as a sacred pathway for celestial beings. Physical obstructions, such as helicopters or planes, are seen as a violation of this spiritual order.
The Agamas, it is said, also stress on preserving the temple’s peaceful environment. The priest pointed out that noise and vibrations from low-flying aircraft interfere with rituals like Abhishekam, Naivedyam and sevas, during which Vedic chants and hymns are performed. “These rituals must remain undisturbed by external sounds or movements,” he said.
This is not the first time the TTD has raised the issue. The board has repeatedly petitioned the civil aviation ministry, with similar requests made under previous governments. In 2016, the Andhra Pradesh government supported the proposal, but it was rejected due to concerns about its impact on flight operations at Tirupati airport, which already faces terrain-related challenges.
Former civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had made it clear, a while ago, that it was not possible to declare Tirumala a no-fly-zone, under the present civil aviation rules. However, he said efforts would be made to prevent flights from passing directly over the temple as a mark of respect to religious sentiments.
The civil aviation ministry reiterated this position last year, acknowledging the temple’s religious significance while highlighting the need to balance spiritual concerns with airspace management.
Against this backdrop, the latest appeal by the TTD has gained attention, with civil aviation minister Ramamohan Naidu, representing the Telugu Desam Party, seen as someone who might push the demand forward, given his party’s alliance with the BJP-led NDA government.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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