TTD to provide free meals to all pilgrims

Tirumala, Jun 8 (UNI) Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the administrative body of the world famous Lord Venkateswara temple, will provide free meals to all visiting pilgrims here from today.

Announcing the new initiative by the TTD here, TTD Board Member O V Ramana said hitherto, only pilgrims who had darshan of the Lord were provided free meals through a token system. The additional expenditure from the new initiative would be met by donations pooled in the Nitya Annadana Pathakam.

On normal days, about 50,000 pilgrims visit the temple. But during holidays and other occasions, the number goes beyond three to four lakh a day, he added.

Earlier, a devotee donated Rs 15 crore for the construction of a huge modern building to facilitate offering food to 10,000 people at a time, he said.

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