TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) collaborating the products and services of Srivari Seva volunteers for selling its Panchagavya merchandise and incense sticks (agarbattis) and heaps others is attracting blended responses from devotees.
Critics elevate the ask whether or no longer the Srivari Sevaks, who came to lend a hand Lord Venkateswara and his devotees, must sell TTD’s merchandise. Does this quantity to a service or sales, they ask.
TTD officers provide an explanation for their motion by pronouncing the merchandise were launched in a insist to advertise the age-inclined follow of the usage of cow-primarily based mostly merchandise among the many folks.
It became with a look for to offering better service to the devotees that the TTD launched Srivari Seva voluntary service within the twelve months 2000. Lakhs of volunteers extended their products and services to the Lord and his devotees within the title of Srivari Seva. So famous so, this has grown into a indispensable initiative and an inseparable part of TTD.
Their products and services are being utilised in over five dozen areas of indispensable pilgrim interface alongside side vigilance, neatly being, annaprasadam, laddu prasadam, guide stalls, garden, temple, and heaps others.
When contacted, TTD PRO, T. Ravi suggested Deccan Fable that selling Agarbattis and Panchagavya merchandise became additionally a component of Srivari seva. “TTD has launched agarbattis and panchagavya merchandise with the blueprint of promoting cow-primarily based mostly merchandise in a immense manner. So, they may be able to not be seen as industrial merchandise. And, we don’t power Srivari sevaks to manufacture a explicit service, be it managing the queues, serving annaprasadam, or selling TTD diaries, calendars and merchandise,” the PRO maintained.
Nevertheless, critics detest of the TTD utilising the products and services of volunteers for selling the temple body’s merchandise at makeshift stalls in Tirumala. “Srivari Seva volunteers are here to lend a hand the Lord and his devotees. Expanding this seva for selling TTD merchandise will within the prolonged walk be towards the pursuits of the TTD. The temple body must limit its service to devotees fully and no longer for getting cash,” noticed Naveen Reddy, a Congress leader.
“Srivari sevaks narrate they fetch utmost pride and non secular solace by serving devotees in any manufacture. Each and each volunteer will be assigned duties in assorted sevas. Accordingly, some were engaged in selling TTD merchandise, and to boot they were asked fully to prove about them, whereas the TTD workers are engaged in selling these merchandise,” the PRO said.
BJP spokesperson Samanchi Srinivas supported the TTD’s possibility to make a selection Srivari Sevaks in selling panchagavya merchandise. “As volunteers, they came to lend a hand the TTD and the devotees. Sale of Panchagavya merchandise is no longer a industrial converse as it promotes our age-inclined practices. So, there is nothing defective in it,” he claimed.
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