President to inaugurate TTD Platinum Jubilee Celebrations on July 7

July 5, 2008

AMUDALA SATYANARAYANA

TIRUPATI, JULY 5, 2008; (TIRUPATITIMES.COM) Unprecedented security arrangements have been made for President Prtaibha Patil who would inaugurate the Platinum Jubilee celebrations called as "Amruthotsavam" of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which administers the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara, here on July 7.

Renigunta Airport, Tirupati , Tirumala and the connecting routes including both the up and the down ghat roads leading to the Hill temple have been covered with a thick security blanket of central and state forces.

The President would arrive here by an IAF aircraft at 5.30 pm on July 6 on a two-day visit, temple sources told.

AAfter overnight stay at the high-security Padmavathy Guest House on the Tirumala hills, she would participate in the pre-dawn ritual 'Archana Seva' conducted to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara at the hill shrine in the wee hours of July 7.

Before inaugurating the celebrations, she would launch the Sri Venkateswara Bakthi Channel, a satellite TV channel funded by the TTD, and inaugurate the new Building of Sri Venkateswara Oriental College here.

Later, Mrs. Patil would participate in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations followed by the maiden convocation of the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SIVMS), both to be held at TTD's Air-conditioned Mahati Auditorium here.

The President would leave Tirupati at 1.30 pm, the sources said.

The sources also said that TTD would be conducting the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations to mark the completion of 75 years for the TTD, which had taken the reigns of the hill temple in 1933 from Sri Swamy Hathiranjee Mutt, a Charitable out-fit.

To look-after the affairs of the over 2000 year old hill temple, the then combined Madras State legislature had passed a special act in 1933 where by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) committee was invested with powers of administration and control through a commissioner appointed by the Government Madras, the sources added.

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