PNS|Tirupati
IT services giant TCS and MAP Systems together are donating Rs 145 crore to develop the Sri Venkateswara museum in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh into a world-class one. Tirupati MLA B Karunakara Reddy, who is the chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) trust that runs the Sri Venkateswara temple, participated in a ritual to start the development work on Friday.
“The spacious museum, which is located in about three acres of land, will be soon developed into a world-class museum to attract visiting pilgrims,” Reddy said in a press release. He said the primary objective is to showcase the glory of Sri Venkateswara Swamy in an attractive manner and educate the pilgrims about the culture and traditions as well as the historical significance and heritage of Tirumala temple. According to the chairman, TCS will donate Rs 125 crore for the project and Bengaluru-based MAP Systems will contribute Rs 20 crore, which will fund the development of of 19 galleries by December. On the ground floor of the museum, MAP Systems will display tiruveedhi, temple experience, vahanas, sevas and sapthagiri 3D experience galleries while the Tata Group’s IT behemoth will facelift the Venkateswara, antique stone, metal and wooden sculptures, and Annamaiah copper plates and numismatic galleries in the same floor.
The first floor will showcase the weapons, musical instruments and puja utensils gallery while the second floor will house viratpurush and chaturvedas galleries.
The third floor of the museum will house the Brahmanda gallery, which showcases the might of the cosmos.
Besides these attractions, 17 large domes will have displays on ardent devotees of the deity such as Sri Ramanujacharya, Sri Shankaracharya and others, and will also depict important characters and episodes from epics like Srimadramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, among others.
