Security concerns:TTD’s vigilance and security sleuths scanning the folded umbrellas at the Alipiri scanning centre on Tuesday

Tirupati, October 9, 2013: For the first time ever, the famous umbrellas used in the ‘Garuda Seva’ of the procession of Lord Venkateswara as part of Tirumala Brahmotsavams went under the scanner at the Alipiri check point here on Tuesday.

The umbrellas in two batches of six and nine, were presented to Tirumala temple by Chennai-based Tirupati Umbrella Charities and Hindu Dharmartha Samithi, ahead of the grand gala event.

The umbrellas reached Alipiri, the foot of the hills on Tuesday, but this time they had to go under the scanner for the first time.

As the umbrellas and the procession were widely discussed following the arrest of two hardcore terrorists at the nearby Puttur town, which is on the Chennai-Tirupati highway, the security officials decided to frisk the umbrella thoroughly, apart from the devotees carrying the same.

“We got instructions from our higher-ups to undertake a scientific check of the umbrella this time, in view of the high security alert after the Puttur incident”, a TTD security official at the check point said.

Given the sanctity attached to the umbrellas, the officials refrained from involving the sniffer dogs anywhere in the process.

Source: The Hindu, October 9, 2013