TTD Annaprasadam: The Akshaya Patra of Tirumala

 

For over three and a half decades, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has been serving free, nutritious meals to lakhs of pilgrims daily—an act of devotion rooted in the legacy of Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba, the 18th-century saint-poetess who pioneered Annadanam at Tirumala.

Historical Roots

• Vengamamba’s Legacy: She organized Anna Prasadam and drinking water distribution during Sri Narasimha Jayanti in Vaishaka month, serving devotees in the forested hill shrine.
• Royal Recognition: Edicts mention land grants from kings of Dindigul to Golconda in honor of her service.

Modern Milestones

• 1933–1980s: TTD began with small canteens offering meals at nominal prices (Idli ₹0.10, Meals ₹1).
• 1985: CM Sri N.T. Rama Rao launched the Free Annadanam Scheme with a ₹10 lakh donation by LV Ramaiah.
• 2008: Inauguration of Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasadam Complex (MTVAC) by President Smt. Pratibha Patil.

Scale of Operations

• Daily Service:
• Normal days: ~65,000 pilgrims
• Festival days: Over 1 lakh pilgrims
• Timings:
• Regular: 9 AM – 11 PM
• Festivals: 8 AM – 1 AM next day
• Food Items:
• Sambar Rice, Pongal, Upma, Pulihora
• Served at MTVAC, Vaikunta Queue Complexes, PAC-2, and food counters

Behind the Scenes

• Raw Material:
• 10–12 tonnes of rice, 7–8 tonnes of vegetables daily
• Tested at Tirupati godown before dispatch
• Srivari Sevaks:
• Clean, cut, cook, and serve food across Tirumala
• Organic Initiative:
• TTD is now sourcing organic vegetables from Rayalaseema farmers for healthier meals

Financial Backbone

• SV Nitya Annaprasadam Trust:
• Established in 1985
• Became self-reliant in 2018
• Current corpus: ₹1502 crore