New Delhi: In a rare gesture, Chennai-based Subeena Banu and Abdul Ghani couple, have donated Rs.1.02 crores to TTD on Tuesday. The couple presented the cheque to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the world’s richest temple. Of the total amount, the donation includes Rs.87 lakhs worth of furniture and utensils for the newly constructed Sri Padmavathi Rest House and a DD for Rs.15 lakhs towards SV Annaprasadam Trust.


They handed over the DD to TTD EO AV Dharma Reddy at Ranganayakula Mandapam in Tirumala temple.


This is not the first time that Abdul Ghani, a businessman has made a donation to the temple also known as Balaji temple, as reported by the news agency IANS.


In 2020, he made a donation of a multi-dimensional tractor-mounted sprayer to spray disinfectants on temple premises during the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier, he had donated an Rs.35 lakh refrigerator truck to the temple for transporting vegetables.


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Earlier on Friday, Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani donated Rs 1.5 crore to Tirumala temple. After offering prayers at the famous hill shrine in Andhra Pradesh, Ambani handed over the demand draft to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) EO AV Dharma Reddy at Ranganayakula Mandapam in Tirumala.


The industrialist had darshan and participated in the rituals performed by the temple priests. The billionaire also paid a visit to the SV Goshala at Tirumala. Andhra Pradesh MPs Sri Gurumurthy, Sri Vijaysai Reddy, and Chandragiri Legislator Sri C Bhaskar Reddy were also present.


Ambani, along with Radhika Merchant, who is the daughter of Encore Healthcare CEO Viren Merchant, and other RIL officials arrived in the hills in the wee hours of Friday.


Earlier, Ambani, an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara, had donated Rs 5 crore to Tirumala temple in 2010. At that time, temple sources told PTI that the donation was made to meet the TTD's ongoing Rs 100-crore gold plating project for the sanctum sanctorum.