Posted:
[ 16 Apr, 2007 0027hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
TIRUPATI: Ahead of the Abhishek-Aishwarya Rai wedding later this week, superstar Amitabh Bachchan on Sunday donated Rs 51 lakh for education of poor children and hospital facilities at the Tirupati temple on Sunday. His friends Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and industrialist Anil Ambani who were accompanying him also made a donation each, of the same amount, to the temple trust.
The Big B was at the abode of Lord Venkateshwara to seek blessings for the marriage. Amitabh also placed a wedding invitation card at the feet of the Lord.
Eyewitnesses say that even as the superstar placed the wedding invitation card at the feet of the deity, the temple priests began reciting hymns and performed 'Aaseervachanam' and sprinkled 'Akshata' (holy rice), turmeric and kumkum on the wedding card. Later Big B dropped the card in 'Sri Vari Hundi' (a holy container where devotees drop their offerings) the first invitation was thus offered to the Lord seeking his blessings for the couple.
The three donated Rs 51 lakh each towards the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam (TTD)-run Pranadanam, Annadanam and Balamandir Trusts which are aimed to provide free surgeries, free food to pilgrims and take care of orphans respectively. They handed over the cheques to TTD executive officer A P V N Sharma. Each of them has reportedly donated Rs 17 lakh towards each trust.
All the three arrived here in a special flight from Mumbai around 7.30 am and had darshan of the Lord at 8.30 am. The three entered the sanctum sanctorum through the special entrance for VVIPs and offered prayers for about 15 minutes. Later, they were led to Ranganayakula Mandapam where they were given 'prasadam' of the Lord amid chanting of Vedic hymns. The priests presented them with holy 'Vastram' (piece of cloth) and blessed them with 'Veda Aaseervachanam'.
The Tirupati temple managed by the Andhra Pradesh government is one of the richest temple trusts in the country with revenues topping Rs 900 crore annually. The temple came to limelight only after a concerted effort at marketing it from the early nineties onwards. Known to attract pilgrims from across the country, Amitabh Bachchan himself visits Tirupati five to six times a year.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/India/Ahead_of_weddi ng_Amitabh_donates_Rs_51_lakh_to_Tirupati/articleshow/191269 0.cms
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