Tirupati, Feb 5 (PTI) As many as 18 Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) employees, who are allegedly practicing non-Hindu faiths, have been barred from attending all religious and spiritual events conducted by the temple body as part of disciplinary action, said an official on Wednesday.

According to the temple body official, a circular to this effect was issued recently. TTD is the official custodian of world-renowned Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati.

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"Those 18 (employees) are barred from attending religious events. They are prohibited from attending all TTD religious and spiritual events. They cannot participate," the official told PTI.

Earlier in November 2024, the TTD board headed by chairman BR Naidu said that it would write a letter to the N Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA government for taking an appropriate decision on non-Hindus working in Tirumala.

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Further, TTD rules mandate that non-Hindus have to declare their faith in the deity before making a visit to the temple.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)