Tirumala Food Stalls Undergo Cultural Makeover, Stress On Southern Veg Cuisine
Shops drop Indo-Chinese menus; for a year now, TTD additional executive officer (Venkaiah Chowdary has been leading the effort through regular inspections and meetings with food stall owners, urging them to replace spicy, oil-heavy dishes with simpler, culturally aligned meals
TIRUPATI: Fast-food stalls and eateries across Tirumala are steadily moving away from Indo-Chinese items and started giving more eminence to traditional South Indian cuisine.
This was as part of an ongoing drive by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams to preserve the devotional atmosphere of the sacred hill shrine. For a year now, TTD additional executive officer (Venkaiah Chowdary has been leading the effort through regular inspections and meetings with food stall owners, urging them to replace spicy, oil-heavy dishes with simpler, culturally aligned meals.
The initiative is beginning to show results, with more than three dozen eateries voluntarily adapting to the new model.
Outlets around the central reception office, pilgrims mmenities complexes, the Varahaswamy guest house and the second NC areas have revamped their menus. Items like gobi manchurian, noodles and fried rice have been taken off the menu. Instead, idly, dosa, pongal, vada and poori are on offer for breakfast, while lunch options now include lemon rice, sambar rice, rasam rice, curd rice, pulihora and other mild, easily digestible preparations.
“This change didn’t happen overnight. We have been encouraging vendors to drop Indo-Chinese items and serve food that reflects the spiritual identity of Tirumala. It’s encouraging to see the response,” said the additional EO.
TTD officials said complaints had been rising over the last few years about the smoke and strong smells from heavily spiced foods prepared in open-air stalls, often causing discomfort to pilgrims. “The fumes caused eye irritation and made it hard for devotees to breathe. The goal is to restore the serene and devotional vibe of the temple town,” Chowdary said.
Adding to this shift, many stall staff have started wearing bouffant caps, gloves and dhoti-kurta attire to complement the devotional setting.
Hygiene standards have also seen improvement, with cleaner kitchens, more organised serving areas, and wider adoption of digital payment systems.
To support this shift, officials from TTD’s panchayat and revenue department led by estate officer K Venkateswarlu and the health department led by Dr Madhusudhana Prasad have been conducting awareness sessions with stall owners on hygiene, food safety and waste management. Feedback systems are also being rolled out to ensure continuous improvement based on pilgrim suggestions.
With over 35 food outlets already on board, the TTD now plans to expand the initiative further.
