Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati district.
Credit: PTI Photo
Tirupati: A Hyderabad-based devotee, K Srikanth, on Tuesday donated Rs 1.1 crore to two wings of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the official custodian of the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.
Of the total contribution, Rs 1 crore was given to the SV Anna Prasadam Trust and Rs 10 lakh to the SV Gosamrakshana Trust, the temple body said.
“Kodali Srikanth…donated Rs 1 crore to Sri Venkateswara Anna Prasadam Trust and Rs 10 lakh to Sri Venkateswara Gosamrakshana Trust of TTD on Tuesday morning,” said the press release.
Srikanth donated the demand drafts (DDs) of his donation to additional executive officer Ch Venkaiah Chowdary at Ranganayakula Mandapam inside the Srivari (deity) temple.
Former chief minister NT Rama Rao (NTR) started Venkateswara Nithya Annadanam Endowment Scheme in 1985 to serve free food to 2,000 pilgrims a day.
Later, it was transformed into an independent trust by the name of Sri Venkateswara Nithya Annadanam Trust in 1994 and further into Sri Venkateswara Annaprasadam Trust in 2014.
Run by donations from across the world, the trust deposits funds in nationalised banks and meets its expenses to serve food to devotees through the interest earned on them.
TTD runs the richest Hindu shrine in the world.