The Tirupati Tirumala temple. (naidusudhakar via Twitter)
The Tirupati Tirumala temple. (naidusudhakar via Twitter) 
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TTD Trained People From Dalit, Backward Communities, And Now They Are Ready To Take Charge As Priests

BySwarajya Staff

As a project under the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams (TTD), 200 people, mainly from the Dalit and backward communities had undergone training for 3 months to take up duties as priests in the temples run by the TTD, reported Times Of India.

TTD executive Anil Singhal has expressed optimism that the new priests will soon take over the temples under the TTD, claiming that this is the first time the members from backward communities are taking up duties with the world’s richest temple.

The TTD, with help from the Endowments department is slated to construct 500 new temples in several communities, where the new priests will be appointed.

The programme was initiated by the Sri Venkateswara Employees' Training Academy (SVETA) two years back, but was discontinued owing to some resistance to it. However, it has now that the programme has been completed.