TIRUPATI: The newly-formed Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) passed Monday a resolution requiring non-Hindus employed by the board to either take voluntary retirement or opt for a transfer to other government departments in Andhra Pradesh.
TTD is an independent government trust that manages Tirumala Venkateswara temple in Tirupati – the world’s richest Hindu shrine.
TTD chairman BR Naidu confirmed the decision but declined to reveal the exact number of non-Hindu employees. Sources said the move will affect about 300 of the board’s 7,000 permanent employees. TTD also employs around 14,000 contract workers.
The decision has drawn support from various employee unions, which have stated that it aligns with the Andhra Pradesh Endowments Act and TTD Act. “This should be enforced in totality,” a union representative said. Upon his appointment as TTD chairman on October 31, Naidu had expressed his stand that only Hindus should run the temple.
Over the years, the TTD Act has been amended three times to stipulate that only Hindus should be employed by the temple board and its affiliated institutions. A government order issued in 1989 also mandated that appointments to TTD-administered posts would be restricted to Hindus.
Despite these provisions, sources claimed that non-Hindus have continued to work within the organisation. Since the Chandrababu Naidu-led government assumed office in June, complaints were reportedly received from Hindu employees identifying their colleagues from other faiths.
TTD’s decision comes shortly after Naidu’s government alleged that the previous YSRCP administration had permitted the use of ghee with animal fat in the preparation of the temple’s iconic Tirupati laddu, sparking a major controversy.
The decision is supported by Article 16(5) of the Constitution, which allows institutions of a religious or denominational nature to employ members of their own religion. Similarly, Rule 3 of the AP Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Subordinate Service Rules states that employees of religious institutions must profess the Hindu faith.
This legal backing was reinforced in November 2023 by Andhra Pradesh high court when it upheld Rule 3, confirming that trust boards are empowered to mandate service conditions, including the requirement that employees follow the Hindu religion.