Tirumala sources reported that recently the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) board had met and made a controversial announcement that the Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirumala would be closed for nine days from August 9 to 17 and devotees will not be able to have a darshan of the Lord. Meanwhile the closure of temple for devotees was to conduct the Mahasamprokshana, which is held once in 12 years. This decision of TTD came in for widespread criticism.
Presently with media also stepping up criticism of the TTD decision, with repeated exposure by the Sakshi group, the government had to climb down on its call for closure of the temple. Moreover the TDP government seems to have instructed the Executive Officer to facilitate darshan during the nine days. Due to closure of the temple the devotees was taken to facilitate the Mahasamprokshana, but with devotees, religious leaders and media slamming the move, especially after the controversies surrounding TTD, the Board had to rethink its decision.
Reports added that AP CM instructed the TTD
officials to follow the system adopted by the temple on earlier occasions of
performing Mahasamprokshana. He said “Without disturbing the pooja of the Lord,
people should be allowed to have darshan as well”. Further when reacting to the
instructions of AP CM, TTD EO Anil Kumar
Singhal held a press conference here today and said that they would hold the
board meeting on July 24 and take an appropriate decision on allowing darshan
during Mahasamprokshana.
