The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has denied allegations made by Dr A V Ramana Dikshitulu, former chief priest of the Tirumala temple who had to retire after TTD introduced a new rule that hereditary priests should retire when they reach 65 years. After he had to retire forcibly, Ramana Dikshitulu, 69, alleged that there were financial irregularities in the TTD. He also said that some expensive diamond jewels belonging to the presiding deity have gone missing from the temple.
“A pink diamond which was gifted by the Maharaja Thanjur before Independence to Lord Venkateshwara at the Tirumala temple has surfaced at an auction in Geneva last year. It belongs to TTD but it has gone missing,’’ Dikshitulu said today. However, TTD’s Executive Office Anil Kumar Singhal and TTD Board member Bonda Umameshwara Rao refuted the allegations saying that all gold, jewels including diamonds, and ornaments gifted to the presiding deity are accounted for and nothing is missing.
“Ramana Dikshitulu is making baseless allegations as he has some grievances. We have a neat record of all the ornaments belong to the deity and it is all accounted for.” Ramana has been succeeded by his deputy Venugopal Dikshitulu. Some Hindu groups including staged a demonstration today at Tirupati demanding an investigation into allegations made by Ramana Dikshitulu.
Meanwhile BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy tweeted that he would file a petition in the Supreme Court seeking to quash the order of sacking Ramana Dikshitulu and also seek a court-monitored investigation into the allegationso of financial irregularities in TTD. Ramana Dikshitulu also alleged that the TTD had closed the sacred kitchen which was constructed in 1150 AD for 25 days to conduct some minors which were not necessary. “The kitchen where the `prasadam’ (offering) for the Lord is prepared cannot be closed entirely. It is disrespectful to prepare the `prasadam’ meant for the Lord outside the sacred kitchen,’’ he said.
TTD EO Anil Kumar Singhal said today that if the ‘Agama Shastras’ (sacred scriptures) permit, the TTD will display all the jewels of the presiding deity. “The scriptures forbid the display of certain things. If it is possible we will digitize all the jewels in 3D format and put them for display at a museum,’’ he said. Singhal also said that the pink diamond that Ramana Dikshitulu was referring to was actually a ruby which broke when it fell down during a procession of the presiding deity, and a report was submitted to that effect by then TTD EO IYR Krishna Rao.