New master plan for Tirumala for next 30 years

TIRUMALA: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Specified Authority has decided to draft a new master plan for Tirumala keeping in view the increase in the pilgrim influx and also the future needs for the next three decades in place of the existing plan designed in 1976. The work was entrusted to the Hyderbad Metropoliton Development Authority (HDMA), J Satyanarayana, chairman of the Specified Authority has said.Briefing newsmen about the decisions taken at the Specified Authority meeting held here on Thursday, Satyanarayana said the preliminary master plan report which is expected in three months, includes the geographical limitations and boundaries of Tirumala. Simultaneously they will also study the Divya Bharati project- a spiritual project contemplated by the TTD.It has also been decided to divert the bulk booking arjitha seva tickets which were cancelled by the TTD, to current booking, for issuing them from November.TTD has already sent notices to the bulk arjitha seva ticket holders to report on the previous day of their seva or their tickets will be cancelled. Such cancelled tickets will be issued to the common pilgrims under current booking.The meet also approved for scientific preservation and conservation of copper plates containing about 12,000  Annamayya Keerthanas. TTD has also decided to popularise these songs with pictorial depiction of the songs in Tamil, Kannada, English and Hindi languages apart from Telugu by creating an exclusive Annamaiah gallery in the museum.As many as 46 Dharma Pracharaks and 12 Dharma Vistaraks will be appointed exclusively to take up Hindu Dharma Pracharam in all the  23 districts, with a focus on Harijan and Girijan localities, he said.The other decisions taken in the meeting include conducting Kalyanotsavam every month on Swati Nakshatram day (the birth star of Narasimha Swamy), at Tarigonda Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple, near Vayalapadu, appointment of 320 private security guards who will be given exclusive training in the security management of Tirumala temple, laying of a bypass road from GNC toll gate to RTC garage behind Panchajanyam Guest House to avoid traffic congestion, issue of new identity cards to all the temple staff.