Tirupati: NRI devotees donate Rs 13.5 Cr

Tirupati, July 14: Two US-based business magnates have donated Rs 13.5 crore to the famous hill holy place of Lord Venkateswara at nearby Tirumala here on Saturday.

The NRI devotees, initially come from Andhra Pradesh, donated the huge cash offerings as a the achievement of something desired of their vow, a temple official said.

While one of them, Ika Ravi had made an online donation of Rs. 10 crore to the e-Hundi of Lord Venkateswara from his US account, the other, Srinivas Guttikonda personally handed over the donation of Rs 3.5 crore through a Demand Draft to the temple, Public Relations Officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams(TTD) informed media.

The contribution was made in the presence of TTD Chairman Putta Sudhakara Yadav, Andhra Pradesh Industries Minister N Amaranatha Reddy and other officials at the hill temple Saturday morning, he said.

Guttikonda also solicited the TTD to use his offering for about half-a-dozen TTD-run public welfare trusts, including pilgrim Free Meals, a hospital and a children's orphanage in Tirupati, the official added.