HYDERABAD, INDIA, August 26, 2008: In an attempt to bring a change in the mindset of prisoners, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has decided to gift them copies of the Bhagavad Gita. The TTD, which manages the affairs of Lord Venkateshwara temple at Tirupati, said it would distribute copies of the holy book among prisoners lodged in various jails in Andhra Pradesh.
The board also decided to gift prasadam, holy food offerings from the temple to prisoners at least once a year. TTD chairman Karunakar Reddy, who presided over the meeting at Tirupati, hoped that distribution would change the prisoners.
The governing body also decided to impose a complete ban on footwear in the area around the temple. In a move to maintain the sanctity of the place, it banned footwear in the complexes and lanes.