TTD to conduct second phase of free marriages on Aug 22

Hyderabad, Jun 6 (UNI) As part of the novel scheme taken up by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam to relieve the poor parents of girls of debt burden due to marriages, the second phase of 'Kalyanamastu' (free marriages) for all the girls who had completed the age of 18 and boys over 21 years will take place on August 22.

An awareness programme was organised in the office of the Commissioner of Endowments here today, in which officials of the department participated.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Endowments, J Ratnakara Rao said there were 2,000 major temples in the state and if each temple could enrol 10 couples, there would be 20,000 marriages in the second phase, five thousand marriages were performed by the TTD during the first phase on February 22 this year.

Ratnakara Rao said as a minister of the department, he would take the programme as a challenge and ensure that maximum number of marriages take place in his native Karimnagar district.

He wanted the authorities to give wide publicity to the free marriage scheme and ask priests to announce it on the public address system available in every temple, apart from media and other means of publicity.

The Minister said 18 Agama Pathasalas (Vedic Schools) would be established in the state soon.

UNI