Tirupati's declaration form for non-Hindus: Sonia, Abdul Kalam signed; even Jagan did once

After Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu's explosive allegations about the adulterated ghee in the laddu stirred up a massive row, the temple conducted cleansing rituals, and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan observed penance at Durga Temple in Vijayawada. Organisations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanded Jagan’s arrest and that he sign the declaration form before entering the temple.

However, after TDP, Jana Sena, and other Hindutva organisations planned programmes to stop Jagan from reaching Tirumala and police imposed restrictions against gatherings across Tirupati district, Jagan’s proposed visit had to be cancelled. Many reports said Jagan did not want to sign the form and backtracked at the last minute. Some experts say Jagan could have entered the temple because he had already signed the form earlier and did not need to sign again (Details, later in the copy). 

The form of declaration

The Form of Declaration, in which a non-Hindu has to declare his faith but add that he or she 'has faith in Lord Venkateswara and reverence to him and to his worship' and request to be permitted inside the temple, came into existence on April 9, 1990, through a GO (MS No 311) issued by the Endowments-Revenue department of Andhra Pradesh.

The form has to be signed and submitted to the TTD authorities. Interestingly, this form is largely meant for VIP visitors alone, as ordinary devotees, who throng the temple in lakhs, cannot be scrutinised for their faith. Participating in a debate, former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) executive officer LV Subramanyam said that the form was meant to be signed by non-Hindu dignitaries who intended to visit the temple.

“It is a matter of faith and that does not mean anyone from another religious faith will not be allowed for a darshan if he doesn’t sign the form,” he added.

Jagan's earlier visits to Tirumala

Earlier, Jagan’s visits to Tirumala have invariably triggered controversy. He first visited the temple in 2009 when he was an MP. At that time, he had signed the declaration form with a fuss. In 2012, when he was the leader of YSR Congress, his visit fomented trouble as he refused to sign the declaration again saying that he had already done so in 2009. 

He entered the temple with his followers raising 'Jai Jagan' slogans. The issue cropped up again in 2020 when he was Andhra CM.

A farmer, Sudhakar Babu, filed a petition in the Andhra Pradesh HC seeking Jagan’s disqualification for entering the temple without signing the declaration form of faith. The HC, however, dismissed the petition, stating that Jagan, as the CM, was performing his duties when he offered silk robes to Lord Venkateswara, and there was no need to sign the declaration.

Justice B Devandand also observed, “The petitioner could not submit any evidence to prove that Jagan Mohan Reddy is a Christian. One cannot be considered as Christian by stating he offered prayers at a church, read the Bible or attended gospel meetings. Jagan Mohan Reddy offered prayers at a Gurudwara in Vijayawada and by this it cannot be said that he is a Sikh.”

Also read: AP: Jagan's Tirumala visit may fuel tensions as NDA insists he declares his faith 

What history says

Not much is known about the visits of non-Hindu VIPs before the existence of the declaration of faith. The visits of (then) Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1969 and 1980 to Tirumala did not create any problem. 

One TTD official said that there had been a bar on the entry of people of other faiths, even when there was no written rule and it was observed through history.

The first reference to a ban on people of other faiths was recorded for the first time during the days of George Stratton, the first collector of North Arcot district. The district extended upto Tirupati temple.

Stratton became collector soon after East India Company took over the temple administration from Arcot Nawab. To know about temple traditions, he sought to collect information from the public in the form of a questionnaire, which was later published as Sawal-E-Jawab. It was translated into English in 1949 by a scholar and retired tehsildar VN Srinivasa Rao.

According to the Sawal-E-Jawab, Mlecchas and chandalas were forbidden from climbing the hills. The Mlecchas were the people of non-Hindu religious faith. Based on the information he gathered, Strattan tried to streamline the temple administration without visiting the temple.

Undeclared ban

Srinivasa Rao recorded many instances to show how the British meticulously observed the undeclared ban on the entry of Mlecchas to the temple and never allowed the forbidden people, even from their army, to climb the hill.

Robert Orme in his “History of Military Transactions of the British in Hudustan” narrated how British officials refused to break the convention even at the time of a military crisis.

For example, when a battle broke out in Tirupati over control of the temple renters between Madras Presidency and a few palaigars (small-time feudal chiefs). In March 1759, the temple was surrounded by anti-British attackers, controlled by a Mahratta palaigar and Chandragiri Muslim ruler demanding that rent be paid to them. They, however, never tried to enter the temple or disturb the pilgrims.

“None but Indians and they of the better castes are permitted to ascend the hill on which they pagoda stands. Not apprized of this creed, the sepoys sent by the Presidency were as usual a mixture of the Muhammadans and various castes of Indians. So that, out of 600 sepoys, only 80 were worthy to mount to the assault and Europeans were utterly excluded.”

A contingent of 200 Europeans and 300 Indian sepoys arrived in Tirupati to help quell the attack. But “as before the reinforcement of the sepoys furnished few of the right sort,” Orme wrote in his book and added that they were not allowed to ascend the hill.

Srinivasa Rao concludes that “The Nizams of Hyderabad and the Nawabs of Carnatic… allowed the institution to go on as usual, contenting themselves with surplus incomes from the temple they farmed out to Hindu renters. Later, the East India Company continued the practice farming out the revenues and contented itself with protecting the temple from the attacks of adventurers, who swarmed in this part of the country during the unsettled conditions prevailing after the break up of the Mughal Empire.”

Also read: Tirupati laddu row: Jagan hits back; says will initiate ‘sanitising’ rituals for Naidu’s ‘sins’ 

Textual form of faith

Prof Madabhushi Sridhar, Dean, faculty of Law Mahindra University said the declaration form is a textual form of faith followed for ages and needs to be honoured.

“President Abdul Kalam honoured it when informed about the declaration of faith and entered the temple only after affixing his signature. Later, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also did so. Only once, a non-Hindu dignitary, Justice Nissar Ahmed, Chief Justice of AP High Court, declined to sign the form when told about it and left the temple without having darshan,” he recalled.

However, what is significant is that Prof Madabhushi said once the form is submitted, a person does not need to keep signing the declaration form since it is available in the temple records. A point that Jagan Mohan Reddy is trying to make but is not being heard in the din caused by the Tirupati laddu row.