- EO Reviews arrangements for President of India visit on July 7
- District and TTD officials attend
- President Smt Pratibha Patil to inaugurate Annadanam complex
The TTD Executive officer Sri LV Subramanyam on Tuesday reviewed the elaborate arrangements with TTD and district officials on the scheduled visit of President of India Her Excellency Pratibha Devisingh Patil to the temple town of Tirumala on July 7.
In this connection he inspected the ongoing works at the new Annadanam complex along with district collector Sri Solomon Arogyaraj, Tirupati Urban district SP Sri Prabhakar Rao, Joint collector Sri Vijaya Mohan.The president will inaugurate the Annadanam complex built at a cost of Rs 33 crore and also launch the new Roti making machines with a capacity of 1000 rotis per hour.
Later speaking to media persons the EO said the new complex has four big dining halls with a capacity to serve over 4000 pilgrims in a single sitting. "We have also installed the statue of Vakula Mata in the temple kitchen", he added.
Elaborating further he said, "According to Hindu Dharma, usually before eating food, we recite Annapurneshwari sloka in the new annadanam complex we plan introduce this practice. We will also put up posters and writings on the walls and at vantage points in several languages appealing to devotees to not waste food and also explain the significance of Annadana so that the pilgrims and staff will not waste the food unnecessarily", he added.
He said, Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba was an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara and pioneered the cause of free food serving in the 19th century and stood as fountain head of inspiration to others. "As a tribute to this great devotee and human being, the new annadanam complex has been named after her ", he said.