The TTD plans to partner with TVS Motors to modernize its kitchen and improve prasadam quality. The pilot project will focus on Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamanba Anna Dana Satram, serving 40,000 devotees daily out of 70,000-80,000 visitors.
Published Dec 07, 2024 | 4:25 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 07, 2024 | 4:25 PM
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The Anna Prasada Vantasala at Tirumala is all set to get a makeover.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam’s Trust Board (TTD) has come up with a proposal to modernise the kitchen commensurate with the future requirements.
The crux of the proposal is to provide quality food as prasadam. As part of this, the TTD is contemplating to partner with TVS Motors to bear the cost of modernisation of the kitchen.
To begin with, as a pilot project, the TTD will be modernising the Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamanba Anna Dana Satram (MTVASC).
About 70,000 to 80,000 devotees visit the Tirumala per day. Of them, more than 60 percent— about 40,000, take Srivari Annaprasadaam.
There have been complaints about the quality of Anna Prasadam when the YSRCP was in power. But neither the chairman of the TTD nor the state government ever took notice of them.
After N Chandrababu Naidu took over as the chief minister of the state in June this year, he initiated reforms in the TTD. Naidu, who is a devotee of Lord Venkateswara, asked the officials to modernise the Vantasala, during his visit to Tirumala on 5 October.
After Naidu left instructions, the officials prepared a plan to augment the capacity of Vantasala.
During Brahmotsvams and other festivals, the rush is expected to increase at the temple. There will be moments when the Vantasala has to prepare anna prasadam within a short span of 30 minutes. As the rush would be more, the serving of food has to be faster without compromising on quality.
Keeping these requirements in mind, the TTD is contemplating to appoint one officer of the rank of JEO to supervise the preparation and serving of anna prasadam to devotees.
The Vantasala’s capacity will be increased to facilitate cooking food for one lakh people within just two hours. Officials want to ensure that the food has rich nutritional values. They are contemplating mechanising cooking “pappu” and “rice.” The food testing laboratory is also being modernised.
According to sources in the TTD, TVS Motors will be roped in to foot the entire bill for the modernisation of the Vantasala. Officials are making estimates as to how much it is going to cost.
Officials of the TTD and those of TVS Motors have made inquiries with temples where the standards of making anna prasadam in high. They will soon visit some temples to know first hand how modernisation has made the work easy and efficient.
One TTD official said: “In the beginning of 2025 itself, we intend to commence the works.”
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
