Sri Venkateshwara Bhakti channels launched in Kannada, Hindi

The Kannada and Hindi versions of the Sri Venkateshwara Bhakti Channels went on air from Tuesday.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has already been operating SVBC in Telugu and Tamil, transmitting the temple rituals, dharmic content and the temple town information for the sake of millions of devotees.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy has launched the two channels in Tirumala in the presence of Sri Subudendra Thirtha Swamy of Mantralaya Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt.

Also Read | Jio to develop app for TTD to book Tirumala darshan, accomodation

The SVBC channel, first in Telugu, was inaugurated in July 2008 by the then President of India Pratibha Patil.

All the Tirumala temple events and festivals such as Nityotsavams, Vaarotsavams, Pakshotsavams, Masotsavams, Samvatsarotsavams including Srivari brahmotsavams, and Parayanams, documentaries on important pilgrim centres etc. are telecasted on SVBC.

Spiritual discourses, devotional music, traditional dances, bhajans etc., are also promoted through SVBC, which has become popular with the devotees of Sri Venkateswara Swamy across the globe, officials said.

Also Read | TTD to issue free darshan tokens in the online mode

Upon the request of Tamil devotees, TTD commenced SVBC Tamil on Tamil Ugadi day in April 2017.

The TTD has now launched the Kannada and Hindi versions of SVBC to cater to the devotees from Karnataka and North India.

Though TTD officials earlier said that the Kannada channel would be jointly inaugurated by Reddy and Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, the latter could not attend the event.

Former Karnataka legislator Dr TA Saravana has donated Rs 12 lakh worth of cameras to be used for the Kannada SVBC. An anonymous devotee has donated Rs 10 lakh for the channel operations.

Also Read | TTD faces flak for selling Tirupati temple tickets using Jiomart web domain

Programmes like Sundarakanda, Virata Parvam, Bhagavad Gita that SVBC has presented during the pandemic period have won the hearts of millions of devotees and has widened SVBC viewership, TTD officials said.

New boondi potu

CM Reddy has also opened the newly constructed Boondi Potu Complex in Tirumala, where the boondi required for preparation of the popular Srivari prasadam, laddus, is prepared.

While the present potu on the southern side of Srivari Temple has the capacity to produce boondi to make 3.75 lakh laddus per day, the new facility with modern equipment, proper ventilation facilities takes the output to six lakh laddus daily.

The new potu in an area of 8541 ft with 40 flame-less stoves was constructed with a donation of Rs 12 crore from N Srinivasan of India Cements.