Sadhus observing a fast unto death in Tirupati on Wednesday, demanding protection for the sanctity of the temple city.
| Photo Credit: K.V. POORNACHANDRA KUMAR
Sadhus began a fast unto death in Tirupati on Wednesday (February 12), demanding that the government protect the sanctity of Tirupati, the abode of Lord Venkateswara.
The protest, taken up in front of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) administrative headquarters here, was being spearheaded by Andhra Pradesh Sadhu Parishat, led by its president Srinivasananda Saraswati, which expressed concern over what it alleged “continued steps to compromise the sanctity associated with Tirumala-Tirupati”.
It opposed the construction of a resort by Mumtaz Group at the foot of the Tirumala, which, they feared, would hurt the sentiments of the Hindu devotees arriving from around the globe. “The resort, with its holidaying and tourism related facilities, would have a telling impact on the otherwise serene and divine atmosphere prevailing at the spot,” Swami Srinivasananda Saraswati said.
Taking exception to the silence maintained by the government over the issue, the sadhus wondered if the ruling alliance was any different from the previous YSRCP dispensation, which, they alleged, had remained determined to go ahead with the project.
The agitating Sadhus recalled that Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu had promised to initiate temple reforms from Tirumala, but had done nothing significant. They expressed displeasure over Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan’s call to protect ‘Sanatana Dharma’ as having turned into “empty rhetoric”.
Published – February 12, 2025 08:23 pm IST