Gali Janardhan Reddy wanted name on crown erased

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Mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy, currently cooling his heels in jail, must be bitterly regretting his decision to go against religious tradition and try and seek immortality for himself.

When the former Karnataka minister donated a Rs 45 crore diamond-studded crown to Lord Venkateswara two-and-a-half years ago, he stunned officials of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, the devotees, and even politicians, by the magnificence of his gift.

There are so many diamonds on the crown that it is difficult to count them. Hoping to keep his tryst with immortality, Reddy had his name inscribed on the inside of the crown.

Now, there is no written rule in the TTD that a donor should not inscribe his name on the donation, but, generally, donors avoid doing so, fearing that it might offend the Lord.

Invaluable royal donations dating back to the 16th century or earlier have no inscription of any human name, though several modern donations do.

Apparently, a former TTD chairman had suggested to Reddy that he not inscribe his name on the donation, but the latter brushed it aside.

He was probably reminded of it when his troubles began two years ago, and is said to have told his well-wishers in TTD circles after the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival in December last year that he wanted to erase the inscription. A similar request is said to have been made in June this year.

Reddy was told that according to the priests it was unusual to modify a donation and, anyway, it would be a long process. By September 5 this year, he was in the CBI dragnet.

Gali’s crown of diamonds could quite easily turn into a crown of thorns, but when politicians are involved, one cannot rule out a reversal of fortunes.

The crown gifted to TTD cost Rs 45 crores and is said to have his name on it

* 12,000 stones in crown, say TTD staff

* The diamonds are said to be set in such a way that in one corner the letter ‘G’ stands out in stones of a different colour.

* Two appraisers are appointed by the TTD to count the stones that are roughly estimated to be between 12,000 to 14,000 in number.