Tirumala and Thirupathi temple of Lord Venkateswara/Balaji were administered according to Bruce Code,set by a Britisher in 1821 AD.
The Tirumala Thirupathi Temple adminstration was with the Muslim invaders after the fall of Hindu Kingdoms in the early eighteenth century,The Vijaya Nagar Empire.
The last Muslim ruler who controlled the Temple was the Nawab of Arcot.
The Nawab ran into debts and the East India company took over the temple to offset the dues.
However,the administration of the temple was taken over by the British Government during Queen Victoria’s reign,as the government felt that East India company should not run a Hindu temple.
The Bruce code containing 42 Rules, based on the ruled laid for Puri Jagannath temple.
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Bruce’s Code is a set of rules for the management and administration of temples of Tirumala and Tirupati including the servants, enacted by East India Company in 1821 AD.
Source. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce%27s_Code
These were the well-defined rules formulated as a code having 42 provisions to ease the administration of temples of Tirumala and Tirupati on the basis of customs and previous usages without interfering in the day-to-day affairs
The point of interest is as to how Bruce came to form these rules.
Read the information below.
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Sir,I know you are in pain for several days.. I also know that you lost all your hopes of any recovery..But sir..Please listen to me and offer your prayers to Lord Sri Venkateswara of Tirumala temple..Tirumala is a Temple very near to this place and Lord Sri Venkateswara is the most powerful God in this world…Am sure He will save you from death..Trust me sir..”
With a little curiosity in his voice and a little dazzle in his eyes this time,Le Vellian then slowly turned towards the Tea boy and said “..Thanks my dear,but what do you want me to do for that..’..
With a smile,the Boy replied”..Thanks for taking my words sir..All that you have to do is to just offer your prayers to Lord Sri Venkateswara and request Him to heal you fully.. ”
And now with more hope in his voice,Le Vellian asked the boy..”Okay my dear..I would certainly do..But how to offer my prayers to a Hindu God… I have never done that before..You need to help me do that..”And this time Without seeking any permission from Le Vellian,the 12 – year old mystic Hindu Boy walked with all the divine command in this world to the bedside of Le Vellian; held both his hands first; brought them close to each other…
And later bringing them together,by creating a traditional Hindu NAMASTE posture,raised Le Vellian’s hands and turned them towards the direction wherein the most powerful Tirumala temple is located and surprising Le Vellian further,very loudly chanted holy Lord Sri Venkateswara’s most favorite sloka..“.. Vinaa Venkatesam Nanatho Nanathah.. Sadaa Venkatesam Smaraami Smaraami.. Hare Venkatesa Praseeda Praseedah.. Priyam Venkatesa Prayachcha Prayachchah. .”“.. Aham Doora Tasthe Padaam Bhoja Yugmah.. Pranamechcha Ya Gachcha Sevaam Karomi..Sakrut Sevayaa Nitya Sevaa Phalantvam.. Prayachcha Prayachcha Prabho Venkatesaa..”
Amazing was the boy to the eyes of Le Vellian that moment..After completing the chanting of the divine sloka,the Boy,still holding a much surprised Le Vellian’s hands,closed his eyes for a few moments and silently offered his personal prayers to Lord Sri Venkateswara. .
Furthermore amazed at the command with which the Hindu boy held both his hands and also at the ease with which he had chanted the intricate Sanskrit sloka,Le Vellian slowly got up in his bed; turned both his hands that were still held in a NAMASTE posture towards the smiling mystic boy and offered him his salutations. .PEACEAfter that divine drama..
Le Vellian who had lost all his hopes of any recovery from that near dead situation had quite miraculously regained a complete normalcy in just about a few days time..
This miraculous recovery of Le Vellian shocked the British Army Doctors who have by then had literally written him off as a medical ‘case of complete hopelessness beyond recovery’..
Much later,as he could not personally visit the Tirumala temple due to his job constraints, Le Vellian requested his friend,an Indian soldier by name Ramachandra Ganesh,to visit the Tirumala hill Shrine on his behalf and offer the holy Lord Sri Venkateswara what he promised to offer…EPILOGUE
“Vinaa Venkatesam” sloka although is an integral part of Sri Venkateswara Suprabhatham, was however written and recited first by Sri Markandeya Maharshi,when He visited the Tirumala hills and offered this sloka to Lord Sri Venkateswara. .PERIOD
In the later period,the story of Le Vellian’s miraculous recovery reached the governing authorities of the British Kingdom..In 1801,after having known the sanctity and powers of Lord Sri Venkateswara and the Tirumala Temple,the British took over the administration of the Temple from the hands of the Nawabs of Arcot for lack of discipline and misappropriation of funds in the Temple..
Later in 1821,strictly in accordance with the norms of the Tirumala Temple,the British introduced what is called the Bruce Code..This code has 42 provisions formulated in it with well defined customs and duties meant both for the Tirumala Temple as well as for the Hindu officials working there..
Quite surprisingly, the ruthless British,known for their iconoclastic nature,never interfered with the day to day affairs and rituals of the Tirumala Temple except taking care of it’s administration. .After that divine incident,renowned British personalities like Sir Thomas Monroe and Colonel Geo Stratten went on to become great devotees of Lord Sri Venkateswara. ..
Information source.
https://orangenews9.com/why-britishers-didt-plant-a-cross-in-tirumala-hills/
Thomas Munroe drew up the deeds of the property to ensure that the property is safeguarded.
Even today first Prasadam pf Lord Venkateswara is called Munroe’s Food( Munroe Sadam in Tamil)
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