Chandrababu offers prayers at Tirumala, donates Rs 44 Lakh for Annadanam

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, along with his family, offered prayers at the Tirumala temple on Saturday, marking his grandson Devansh’s birthday with religious devotion and charitable service. The visit combined spiritual observance, public interaction, and key administrative initiatives aimed at strengthening food safety at one of the country’s most revered pilgrimage centers.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by his wife Bhuvaneswari, son and Minister Nara Lokesh, and grandson Devansh. Notably, despite being entitled to protocol-based VIP entry, Chandrababu chose to have darshan through the Vaikuntham Queue Complex, maintaining his long-standing practice of visiting the shrine as a common devotee.

On the occasion of Devansh’s birthday, the family donated ₹44 lakh to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Annadanam Trust, covering the cost of one day’s free meal service for devotees. This marks the 12th consecutive year the family has upheld this tradition. Following darshan, the Chief Minister’s family proceeded on foot to the Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Annadanam Complex, where they personally served food to devotees.

Chandrababu interacted with pilgrims, enquired about facilities, and even stepped beyond security protocols to greet them directly. Devotees expressed satisfaction over the improved quality of the famed Tirumala laddu prasadam and suggested further streamlining of darshan arrangements, to which the Chief Minister responded positively.

He assured that technological interventions, including AI-based systems, would soon be introduced to make darshan faster and more efficient, building upon the existing Integrated Command Control system. In a major development, Chandrababu also inaugurated a state-of-the-art Water and Food Analysis Laboratory at Tirumala, built at a cost of approximately Rs 25 crore in collaboration with FSSAI and TTD.

Spread across 12,000 square feet, the lab features advanced chemical and microbiology divisions and cutting-edge technologies such as e-nose and e-tongue systems, enabling precise analysis of taste and smell to detect adulteration.

The Chief Minister stressed that maintaining the purity of prasadam and ensuring the safety of food and water for millions of devotees is paramount. Officials briefed him that the facility is capable of detecting contaminants such as pesticide residues, antibiotics, and heavy metals including lead and arsenic.

Highlighting the significance of the initiative, Chandrababu described the lab as a national model for temple-based food safety standards. He directed officials to ensure continuous monitoring, strict hygiene in annadanam kitchens, and zero tolerance for adulteration in prasadam ingredients.