Lord Venkateshwara's Muslim devotee donates Rs 1 crore to TTD

Abdul Ghani, a Muslim devotee of Lord Venkateshwara, donated Rs 1.02 crore in money and goods to the Tirupati temple on Tuesday.

The Chennai-based businessman is an ardent follower of Srinivasa—as Lord Venkateswara is also known—and had offered several gifts to the famed Hindu temple in the past as well.

At the beginning of the spread of Covid-19 in the country in March 2020, Ghani donated a vehicle-mounted multidimensional sprayer that helped the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams officials keep the temple premises disinfected.

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Subeena Banu and Abdul Ghani, along with their children, had a darshan of Lord Venkateswara on Tuesday. Their Rs 1 crore donation includes Rs 87 lakh worth furniture and utensils for the newly refurbished Sri Padmavathi guest house.

The Ghani family handed a demand draft for Rs 15 lakh meant for SV Annaprasadam Trust to a senior TTD official at the Ranganayakula Mandapam inside the temple.

At a time when religious fanaticism is attempting to build walls between communities, Ghani’s devotion to Lord Venkateshwara is transcending such boundaries.

Speaking to DH earlier, Ghani said that he has been visiting the temple for over 25 years.

Asked about how he became Govinda’s devotee, Ghani says: “That is a relationship I would like to keep a secret. This is a mutual understanding between me and Him.”

“Venkateswara, Allah or Jesus … I believe that God is one. The ultimate challenge we are facing now is people not understanding this simple equation,” Ghani says.

Some of Ghani's donations to TTD earlier include an air-conditioned truck for transportation of vegetables to the Nitya-annadaana facility run by the TTD near the temple.

Brahmotsavam festivities

Meanwhile, TTD officials are geared up for the annual Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateshwara beginning on September 27.

To be held publicly after a two-year gap because of Covid-19 restrictions, the TTD has planned a spectacular display of folk performances and puranic episodes as part of cultural programs accompanying the vahana sevas.

As many as 88 cultural teams from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and Puducherry would be presenting their regional arts and dance forms during the nine-day celestial festivities.