Temple Trusts are working to protect and modernize a large number of documents that document the evolution of temple governance over decades. Officials said around 22.1 million pages have been digitized so far and the remaining work has been approved for Rs 3 million.
TTD manages the famous Tirumala temple, holding records dating back to 1843, detailing temple affairs with local rulers, Arcot Nawabs, East India Company and British authorities. “These historical records are priceless. They reflect the millennium of temple governance, and we are committed to retaining this legacy,” said a senior official.
Temple's government was initially supervised by Mahants until the establishment of a formal devil committee in 1933. After independence, reorganize TTD into its current form. Administrative work continued until the 1980s, leading to the deterioration of many key documents.
Temple Trust recognizes the urgency and oversees the digital project by Andhra Pradesh Technical Services (APTS). After the bidding process, Iron Mountain India Pvt is located in Hyderabad. Ltd. began scanning operations in August 2023.
“We estimated that we would scan about 16 million pages, but the amount of material exceeded expectations. We have exceeded 22.1 million pages and there is more to it,” said an official involved in the project.
The digital work uses a combination of high-resolution scanning, metadata indexing, microfilm, and, where applicable, optical feature recognition (OCR). These technologies not only ensure digital preservation, but also improve the accessibility and searchability of records.
Meanwhile, TTD is strengthening its broader digital infrastructure. Since the establishment of the dedicated IT wing in 2002, the trust has developed 108 internal software applications for services such as Darshan booking, accommodation, Prasadam distribution, hospital systems and donor management.
To support this ever-expanding digital ecosystem, TTD proposed upgrading the deputy general manager (IT) posts to the general manager position and created additional GM-level posts to simplify operations.
