conversions and one gram of gold

1. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Paying Families Not to Convert

www.organiser.org

HYDERABAD, INDIA, November 1, 2006: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which runs the richest temple in the country, will hand out one gram of gold to poor families to keep them from converting to other religions. The new board that runs the TTD took this decision following complaints from religious leaders that preachers of other religions are luring poor Hindus either through financial help or through promises of a better living. The gold will be given in the form of mangalsutras (wedding pendants) to 100,000 couples below the poverty line every year. "There are several hundred thousand Hindu families living below the poverty line. They have never ever worn gold ornaments. The TTD will distribute gold mangalsutras and perform 100,000 mass marriages every year," said TTD chairman B. Karunakar Reddy. The idea is not that the couple would sell the mangalsutra, but that they would be uplifted by the gift and blessings of the temple.