The Hindu : Gadgets banned in Tirumala temple

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Gadgets banned in Tirumala temple

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI. JULY 21. As part of an exercise to augment security in and around the Tirumala temple complex, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to ban cell phones, cameras and other electronic gadgets.

The TTD's Chief Vigilance and Security Officer, Damodar, said the ban had become imperative in view of the fact that electronic gadgets were found to have been used to cause explosions on 127 occasions the world over by saboteurs. He told presspersons that since the pilgrimshad been allowed to carry electronic gadgets to the temple, the ban would be imposed in stages.

In the meantime, the TTD would take steps to give wide publicity to the ban and would ask the pilgrims not to carry the gadgets either in their rooms or outside the temple before entering the shrine. Mr. Damodar said once the ban was enforced strictly, anyone found carrying any of the banned gadgets would be sent out. Mr. Damodar said the TTD was also trying to get in touch with all major cell phone service providers to ask them to send SMS to their subscribers about the ban.

It would arrange to distribute handbills to the pilgrims at the toll gate itself, besides using the public address system to publicise the ban.

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