The four devotees P Venkateswarlu, Rajamouli, Prasada Rao and M Lakshmi Kumari donated Rs 3.7 crore to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Sri Venkateswara Annaprasadam Trust, which offers free food to pilgrims.

Hyderabad: Four Hyderabad-based entrepreneurs donated Rs 3.7 crore to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Sri Venkateswara Annaprasadam Trust, which offers free food to pilgrims.

The four devotees — P Venkateswarlu, Rajamouli, Prasada Rao and M Lakshmi Kumari — handed over a cheque for Rs 3.7 crore to Additional Executive Efficer Ch Venkaiah Chowdary in Tirumala.

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“Potti Venkateswarlu, Rajamouli, Prasada Rao and Malathi Lakshmi Kumari have donated Rs 3.7 crore to SV Annaprasadam Trust on August 28,” a TTD release stated on Thursday.

Former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao started the Venkateswara Nithya Annadanam Endowment Scheme in 1985 to serve free food to 2,000 pilgrims a day.

Run by donations from across the world, the trust deposits funds in nationalised banks and meets its expenses to serve food to devotees through the interest earned on them. The mega kitchens of TTD, cooks nearly 14 tonnes of rice and procure 10,000 litres of milk daily.

\Up to 7.5 tonnes of vegetables, which come as donations, are used in Annaprasadam canteens daily. On auspicious days such as New Year’s Day, Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rathasapthami and Garuda Seva, over 2 lakh pilgrims are fed with beverages and food.