CHENNAI: A special divine trip to Tirumala for darshan of Lord Balaji was organized for 1,008 special children by taking them by a special train from Chennai recently, thanks to the efforts of Rotary International District 3233 along with Rotary Club of Chennai Noble Hearts.
Tamil Nadu Minister for HR&CE Mr.P.K.Sekar Babu had flagged off the special train from Chennai Central railway station on August 5th 2024 in the presence of Rotary International Director Mr.Anirudha Roy Chowdhury and Divisional Railway Manager of Southern Railway Chennai Division Mr.B.Vishwanath Eerya who was the guest of honour, according to a press release received from Rotary Club yesterday.
“This special train was chartered by Rotary to take these 1008 special children from various children’s homes along with another 500 attenders. After the train reached Renigunta, 38 special buses of APSRTC were taken for the children to go to Tirumala from Renigunta, along with two ambulances and a team of doctors. We enabled darshan of Lord Balaji for these children, and our thanks to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), Southern Railway and the officials of Government of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh,” Mr.Mahaveer Bothra, Rotary District Governor of RI District 3233, has said in a press release giving details about this special trip to Tirumala.
The cost of this project was approximately Rs.65 lakhs and it was donated by members of Rotary community, he said. Among those who were present and lauded the Rotary’s efforts include TTD Chennai temple chief Mr.Shekhar Reddy and Mr.M.Pankaj Kankaria, Rotary project chairman. The children had returned to Chennai the same after a good darshan of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala, the press release said.
