TIRUPATHI TEMPLE

1. Tirupati Update Includes Declaration by Sadhus

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TIRUPATI, INDIA, July 19, 2006: After allegations were made that employees at Lord Venkateswara temple may be assisting Christians in their evangelical activities within the temple compound, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam which manages the temple ordered all 10,000 employees to start wearing the Tilak on their forehead. Even though the TTD conducted an investigation into the allegations and found no evidence of employees cooperating with Christians in their proselytizing, the TTD was pressured into taking action that would prevent any employees from entertaining any ideas by having them firmly commit to their faith. TTD's executive officer A.P.V.N. Sharma said that non-Hindu employees would be transferred to non-temple departments.

HPI adds: In a related development, Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, a group of all Mathadhipatis Headed by H. H. Vishveshwara Thirtha Shripadaru Pejawar Math and other sadhus, in a meeting at Tirupathi on July 15, 2006, issued the following declaration. "We Hindus assembled here declare that we do not support directly or indirectly any group, institution, religion, media or political force which preaches, practices or works against Hindu Dharma in this country. We appeal to all Hindus in this country and elsewhere to subscribe to and support this declaration, the Tirupathi Declaration. We want all the Hindu Religious endowments to be managed by Hindu Bodies, and not by the Government. We want the Secular Government to release all religious endowments from its hold."