Tirupati Tense Over 'Mumtaz' Hotel Construction Near Tirumala Hills, Sadhus On Hunger Strike   

Tirupati hotel news: Tirupati monks have begun an indefinite hunger strike against the construction of 'Mumtaz Hotel' near Tirumala Hills, citing threats to its 'sanctity'.

The Idol of Lord Venkateshwara on a golden chariot being carried during a procession in Tirupati on the Vaikunta Ekadashi last month.

Source : PTI

Tirupati News: A group of monks has started an indefinite hunger strike in front of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) administrative office, protesting the construction of ‘Mumtaz Hotel’ near Alipiri, the gateway to the sacred Tirumala Hills. Led by Srinivasananda Saraswati Swami, president of the Andhra Pradesh Sadhu Parishad, the protesters are demanding an immediate halt to the hotel project, citing threats to the sanctity of the revered site.

The demonstrators argue that the hotel's construction endangers the religious significance of the Tirumala Hills and the Sri Venkateswara Temple. Alipiri serves as the primary entrance to the temple, which is regarded as one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage destinations in India.

In addition to the hunger strike, members of the Hindu Chaitanya Samiti and other Hindu organisations staged a protest outside the municipal development office in Tata Nagar. The protestors, carrying placards and blowing conch shells, voiced their discontent and called for an immediate cessation of the construction work.

Srinivasananda Swami warned that the movement would be escalated if the authorities failed to halt the hotel’s construction. The protestors have also criticised Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, accusing them of inaction despite repeated demands to revoke the project.  

TTD Urges Naidu Govt To Cancel Land Allocation For Mumtaz Hotel

Meanwhile, the TTD board has passed a resolution urging the Andhra Pradesh government to cancel the allocation of 20 acres of land near the temple. The resolution emphasises that the land surrounding the temple should only be used for religious and cultural purposes.

The land in question was originally allocated by Chandrababu Naidu during his last term as the chief minister for a tourism initiative named ‘Devalokam'. However, the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy administration repurposed the allocation, granting it to the ‘Mumtaz’ hotel project.

Following Naidu’s return to power, the newly appointed TTD chairman, BR Naidu, along with the TTD board, has requested the state government to revoke the land allocation for the hotel and transfer it back to the TTD to "uphold the sanctity of the temple and respect the sentiments of devotees".

Amid all these protests and official appeals, however, construction work on the hotel continues, fuelling tensions among the demonstrators and intensifying the demand for immediate government intervention.