Tirupati sanctum sanctorum to remain shut for 6-8 months in 2023 as dome gets new plating

The sanctum sanctorum of Tirupati’s Tirumala temple may remain closed for six to eight months in 2023, as the temple authority has reportedly decided to replace the gold-plating of Ananda Nilayam, the three-storied vimana (dome or gopuram) atop it, after 65 years.

Till the gold-plating is completed, a replica of Lord Venkateshwara’s idol will be housed in a makeshift temple next to the main temple, Hindustan Times quoted officials as saying. This makeshift temple, called Balalayam, will be built close to the existing temple complex so that devotees can have unobstructed darshan of Lord Venkateshwara. The work on building the Balalayam will start on February 23.

Also read: Religious, archaeological concerns over gold-plating of Tirupati temple

According to officials of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the famed temple in Andhra Pradesh, the decision was taken at a board meeting of the temple trust early in December, HT reported.

Plated with 120 kg of gold last time

The Ananda Nilayam was last gold-plated in 1958, which took nearly eight years, starting from 1950. The gold-plating was done for the first time in 839 AD by Pallava king Vijaya Dantivarman. Since then, the gold-plating has been replaced or altered seven times, say available records.

According to TTD records, about 12,000 tolas (around 120 kg) of pure gold and 12 tonnes of copper were used for the gold-plating in 1950, reported HT. It is not yet clear how much the TTD will spend on the work but money should not be an object for one of India’s richest temples. According to a white paper released by TTD in November, it has 10.3 tonnes of gold reserve worth Rs 5,300 crore and cash deposits of nearly Rs 16,000 crore in various banks.

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However, whether the gopuram will be able to withstand the weight of so much gold this time is a concern that TTD’s civil engineers will have to consider.

An article titled Significance of Ananda Nilayam Vimanam by Tamil scholar M Varadarajan and published by the TTD in 2018 gives some details of the vimana of Tirumala temple. It is a 37.8-feet three-storied structure. Its square base is 27.4 feet in perimeter.

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