Tirumala Issue – Major Allegations And The Way Forward

S V Badri

I lost my father when I was barely six. My maternal grandparents brought me up along with my eight siblings. My maternal grandfather, late Sriman Kalyanam Iyengar gave the Tirupati Laddu to the world. I grew up in that Mandir. Long before the Laddu Mirasi was abolished, I had access to all the corners of the Mandir, except the Garbha Griha. Growing up in such a divine environment also gave me a closer view of how the system worked. The Archakas were always our close family friends since my Grandfather’s time. The Gamekars and the Mirasi Dikshitars were my Grandfather’s allies. The families of the four Pradhana Archakas have been family friends for three generations now. The purpose of writing this article was born from the deep anguish that arose out of the following:

"This cannot be viewed as just the problem of the Pradhana Archakas and their compulsory retirement by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) under the TDP Government. This is the problem of Sanatana Dharma."

-The allegations made by a good family friend and a respected Pradhana Archaka, Sriman Ramana Dikshitulu. And the personal attack on him by vested interests, instead of addressing the issues raised by him.

-The political motives attributed to him by both the Government and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Board members and officials, who are nothing but the hand-picked stooges of the Government of the day.

-The Paid Print and Electronic media that cozied up to the TTD and the government for the benefits of special darshan tickets that could easily be sold for a hefty premium and special prasad handed out by the officials of the TTD.

This cannot be viewed as just the problem of the Pradhana Archakas and their compulsory retirement by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) under the TDP Government. This is the problem of Sanatana Dharma. This article does not deal with whether the compulsory retirement of the Pradhana Archakas is correct or not. In my opinion, it is WRONG and that can wait for a separate article. But, there are certain things that the public should know.

There are 4 Pradhana Archakas of the Tirumala Balaji Mandir. They come from 4 families that have served the Bhagawan for 39/40 generations. These families are:

1. Pydipalli (Sriman Narayana Dikshitulu)

2. Gollapalli (Sriman Dr. A.V.Ramana Dikshitulu)

3. Tirupatamma (Sriman Narasimha Dikshitulu)

4. Peddinti (Sriman Srinivasamurthy Dikshitulu)

Also Read: TTD ‘Inspects’ Tirumala Jewellery In Half Hour

They offer their services on a yearly rotational basis. They are not employees of the TTD. They don’t get paid a salary to discharge their religious duties. They were performing as a Kainkaryam to the Bhagawan. For many years, they were getting “Rusumu” as Income, which was their hereditary rightful share of the Pujas performed. When the proposal to abolish this Archaka Mirasi system was introduced, they fought valiantly in courts and took their case to the Supreme Court (SC). As a step to mediate between the Archakas and the TTD, the then E. O. Sri I Y R K Rao and the Dharmika Parishad (There is no Dharmika Parishad now) made the proposal that the Archakas should withdraw their Petition in the Supreme Court and as their existing rights and honour was upheld by the SC which was under Section 142 and the Amendment was made by the AP legislature in 2007. The SC allowed the withdrawal of the petition with a note to the TTD Board that they should hear out the Archakas. This hasn’t been heard till date. Under this mediation, the Pradhana Archakas even agreed to forego the “Rusum”, which was a princely sum, to retain their right to perform the Archaka Kainkaryam as the Pradhana Archakas of the Mandir. Many would be surprised to learn that these Pradhana Archakas are not employees, hence do not get any salary/ wages/ bonus/ leave/ medical benefits that the TTD pays to all its secular employees and other non-hereditary Archakas who have accepted employment with the TTD. Pradhana Archakas did not want to be employees. The Pradhana Archakas were paid a token “Sambhavana” based on the days and the daily rituals/ kainkaryam they offer.

Now, let me get to the purpose of this article:

The Acharyas are NOT individuals. They are Institutions. Collectively, as Hindu Samaj, we let down Institutions that were built successively for 2500 years of service to Sanatana Dharma. We failed the Sanatana Dharma. The second one was the attack on the Pradhana Archaka of the Tirumala Tirupathi Mandir, the Mandir’s rituals and its wealth, another instance where we are seriously found lacking in response as Hindu Samaj.

When someone as learned as Sri Ramana Dikshitulu (He is not only a Ph. D. in Molecular Biology, the learned Pradhana Archaka, but also an expert in Vaikanasa Agama, the tradition followed in the Tirumala Mandir along with Pujas as ordained by Srimad Bhagavad Ramanuja), raises concern on issues like interference by the Politicians, Board Members, TTD employees in the day to day rituals, one needs to take note of and find ways to rectify the situation, if something is seriously wrong as alleged. When he says that the yearly audit of jewellery is NOT being carried out, should we turn a deaf ear and carry a smear campaign on him, slap defamation cases on him or look into it with utmost sincerity?

Let me come to the major allegations made by the Pradhana Archaka:

There is a constant interference from the TTD Management in the rituals performed for the Bhagawan. To give an example, according to him, there have been instances when the TTD officials wanted the Archakas to perform Suprabhata Seva for VIPs at midnight when that is NOT the time to wake up the Bhagawan. There are times when there has been constant pressure on the Archakas to conclude the Thomala Seva in the most abridged of forms. Various Sevas have been shortened either to accommodate the appointments of various VIPs or as a convenient excuse of crowd management.

The Temple Potu where the Anna Prasadams are made for Naivedyam of the Bhagawan – The sudden repair works undertaken without the consent of the Pradhana Archaka, who is also the Agama Advisor for the TTD, the granite slabs on floor and walls dug up and replaced, more importantly, the Prasadams made “outside” totally violative of the Sastras and in much lesser quantities than prescribed as the right quantity for Naivedyam, for little over ten days, all lead to suspicion that everything is not as sweet as the Laddu. The TTD hushes it up with a favourable statement from their poor Potu employees who make these Anna Prasadams, as a means to deflect the truth.

Also Read: TTD Jewels Row: IYR Slams Chandrababu

The Pradhana Archakas who work on yearly rotation basis had the practice of making an open audit of Bhagawan’s jewels, including gold coins and loose diamonds, rubies etc., and then hand over the charge to the incoming Pradhana Archaka. This was done in the presence of the TTD officials. This practice has been stopped since 1996. The serious allegation made was that when the Pradhana Archaka asks for a certain jewellery endowed by Rajas like the Sri Krishnadeva Raya for Alankaram of the Bhagawan on certain auspicious occasions, they would never receive the jewels requested. The Bhagawan has to adjust with what the secular TTD officials hand out for His Alankaram. The purpose for what the donors of yore had given such ornaments is conveniently set aside. That raises a very serious question. Are these jewels still there?

Here is why this question is relevant. When a new donor wants to make an ornament for the Bhagawan and approaches TTD, based on the budget of the donor Bhakt, the management conveniently gives him a design of an existing old traditional jewellery. Thus, a second and more recent jewel starts making its appearance on the Bhagawan while the age-old precious jewel is supposedly sent back for safe custody to the vaults. Are both such jewels available and safe?

On subjects like the types of Pujas to be performed; the time and duration of each Puja; the Naivedyam; the Prasadam; the jewels to be adorned at appropriate Sevas and festivals like the Utsavams including the Bramhotsavam; etc. These are best left to the learned Archakas and their Acharyas.

I have the following proposal as the way forward for the Hindu Samaj and as I see it:

The various Matadhipathis should come forward IMMEDIATELY and form a committee. This is NOT a conclusive list. But I propose, The Tirupati Jeeyar, The Ahobila Matham Azhagiya Singar, The Tridandi Jeeyar, The Andavar, The Pejawar Swamiji, The Hathiram Mutt Swamiji etc., should constitute members of the committee. The Tirupati Jeeyar has already taken the side of the TTD and the Government in this matter, as seen in His statements on this issue. But as the Head of the Matham that Srimad Ramanuja started, it is time to convince Him not to be left out of the fact-finding divine mission, to separate truth from fiction.

Imagine if the current Kanchi Acharya and the Sringeri Acharyas agree to be in it TOGETHER? The whole issue would gather steam. After all, Sri Adishankara sang the Bhaja Govindam, Karavalamba Strotram, Kanakadhara strotram etc., and to these Acharyas, Narayanasmruthi is common.

What should this committee do?:

They should each propose 3 or 4 names of their Auditors/ followers of their respective Mathams. In addition, they will propose 4 highly competent Hindu Jewelry Assessors each to complete the team.

They should announce by a joint declaration that this team would perform the Jewelry audit at the Mandir. Considering the source of such a joint statement, the Government and the TTD would be left with no option but to accept.

The Acharyas should then personally get into the Rituals part. They ALONE have the authority to call the people concerned, investigate, question and get to the truth of the matter. The Acharyas should make it abundantly clear to the TTD management that it has NO business in taking ANY decisions on the Rituals, timing, Utsavams, Naivedyam etc.

The Acharya committee would then let the public know their findings and offer guidance to ensure non-interference in the rituals and the annual audit of the jewels etc.,

What should be the baseline for Jewellery audit?

The Pradhana Archaka said that the last such audit made by the Pradhana Archakas was about 22 years ago. That list can ideally form the starting point. All jewels that have been donated and accrued to the Bhagawan since then should be added and an item by item check for the ornament and its genuineness should be recorded. In this age of digitization, each item has to be digitized and stored as a digital record, with description and details of the donation etc. Today, it is not certain if the genuine jewels are returned to the vaults or fakes have found their way in and the genuine have gone missing.

The suggested committee of Acharyas would serve the purpose of Sanatana Dharma in the longer run, as this body, with additions of Acharyas and Sadhus from the concerned Mandir regions could well be the guiding body if and when the Governments are driven out of our Mandirs.

Can there be a better opening for this than through Tirupati?

(I spoke to a very senior official in TTD who has since retired. He was my classmate during my schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Tirupati five and half decades ago. He told me that years ago when an Acharya questioned the TTD on certain irregularities, they paid a visit to Him and subtly a-la-Don Corleone reminded the Acharya that He has a Matham in Tirumala. He would need the support of the TTD’s Senior officials. He was even told that He would get Temple Honours at the Mahadwaram and in the Sanctum Sanctorum only once a year as per their diktats and that might even be scaled down! This is how TTD operates).

(The author is a former VP-Marketing of a Bayer Organization and one of the founding members of Temple Worshippers Society, Chennai. Currently, lives in Mumbai.)

(Source: PGurus)