Telangana Leaders Cross Party Lines Want Hathiramji Mutt in Tirupati Protected
Politicians and community leaders urge Andhra government to protect and restore old mutt
Tirupati: Political leaders from Telangana, cutting across party lines, have come together on Sunday demanding protection of the Hathiramji Mutt and its properties in Tirupati.
In this regard, Telangana Deputy Speaker Jatoth Ramchander Naik, MPs Etala Rajender and P. Balram Naik, and former MP A. Sitaram Naik offered prayers at the Tirumala temple and later inspected the Hathiramji Mutt. The leaders asked authorities to take steps to safeguard the mutt and its remaining lands.
Etala Rajender said he is pained to see that mutt’s lands have been encroached upon. He requested the AP government to protect the remaining properties.
Balram appealed to the government that the upkeep and management of the mutt be handed to the Banjara community, which has traditionally overseen its affairs. The mutt is currently under the Endowments department. Former MP Sitaram Naik demanded that instead of demolishing the mutt, it must be restored.
Telangana Jagruthi president Kalvakuntla Kavitha extended her support for preserving the mutt. Ahead of her Janam Bata Yatra, which begins on October 25, she visited the Lord Venkateswara Temple on Tirumala to offer prayers. Later, she participated in the Barsi Utsav at the Hathiramji Mutt in Tirumala. Kavitha urged the government to take immediate steps to protect the mutt and hand over its management to the Banjara community.
There is a controversy revolving around the 120-year-old mutt building on Gandhi Road in Tirupati, as it has fallen into disrepair. The structure, once home to devotees, monks and sadhus, later housed the Endowments Office and a court. In recent decades, it has been partly rented to commercial shops. Poor maintenance has left the mutt weak and unsafe.
During the previous YSRC government’s rule, the Tirupati Municipal Corporation had issued notices to the mutt management over the building’s poor condition. The proposal to demolish it had been put on hold following protests. After the change of government, a retired employee brought the matter to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s attention, seeking an inspection of the mutt.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed the Tirupati district collector to examine the site. Subsequent inspections by various agencies found the building to be dilapidated. There is a proposal to construct a new structure.
Recently, the collector, Tirupati municipal commissioner and the local MLA visited the mutt and met Banjara leaders from AP, Telangana, and north India. The leaders opposed demolition and instead demanded that it be repaired and preserved for posterity.
Officials have, however, clarified that only portions of the dilapidated structure with cracks and sagging will be dealt with.
