The 6th phase of Kalyanamastu, the free mass marriage programme of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), will be held on Saturday, August 14, at
Lalita Kala Thoranam in Hyderabad.
TTD Executive Officer I Y R Krishna Rao said that in all, 100 mass weddings are scheduled in the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts alone, as the mass weddings in the 5th phase in November 2009 were disturbed in these two districts and the public response was poor due to unprecedented rainfall, floods and political unrest in the region.
Krishna Rao said that Chief Minister K Rosaiah will be the chief guest, and Endowments Minister Gade Venkat Reddy will preside over the occasion, while Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy will be the special guest of the event.
The EO said that the mass weddings will be held at 11.40am in the Tula Lagnam and Hasta nakshatram on Saturday, in the presence of families and friends of the wedding couples, and devotees of Lord Venkateswara.
TTD chairman D K Adikesavulu said that as per norms, the TTD will gift the couple with a gold mangalasutram, silver toe rings, and a set of wedding clothes to the couple, and to an attendant.
Each newly-married couples will also be given a free darshan at the Balaji temple in Tirumala, at a date chosen by them. The marriage will be followed by a wedding feast for the couples and their family.
The Executive Officer said that so far, nearly 34,057 mass weddings for the poor were conducted as part of the Kalyanamastu, that was conducted in 5 phases till date. He said that while 4,658 weddings were conducted in the first phase, 8113, 6373, 7090 and 7724 weddings were conducted in the subsequent 4 phases, respectively.
"The social objective is to facilitate the poor in the conduction of weddings of their wards, and also to reduce their debt burden," he said.
State ministers, MLA's, MPs, the city Mayor, and eminent representatives of the civil society, will all participate in the event.
Courtesy: INN