**************************************** For more information/links, see http://goanet.netfirms.com ****************************************
$1 mn note offered at Tirupati temple By Mohammed Shafeeq, Indo-Asian News Service Hyderabad, Mar 23 (IANS) An anonymous devotee has offered a $1 million note at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh, creating a sensation in India's richest shrine. The temple staff noticed the note along with a letter-cum-certificate while counting the daily collections in the 'hundi', or cash box. The letter claims that the note is genuine. It reads: "The currency is original and a genuine million dollar bill designed and printed by the American Bank Note Co in 1988 for the International Association of Millionaires (IAM). "This is a unique million dollar bill from the limited edition of bills that were printed in serial number sequence and officially issued by IAM as collector series in 1988 H." As news of the million dollar offering spread, Ajay Kallam, executive officer of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, which manages the temple, held a meeting with other officials and decided to approach the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) through the local branch of Andhra Bank to verify the genuineness of the note. The officials said the note would be sent to a foreign exchange unit of Andhra Bank at Mumbai and the RBI would then contact the American finance department for a final confirmation. They said Andhra Bank officials had confirmed that it was a genuine note. If that is so, it is expected to fetch Rs.50 million for the temple, which earns a whopping Rs.5 billion annually through daily offerings. Temple officials have also decided to send a team to Gonida in Maharashtra to verify the authenticity of a 1,280-carat double-starred ruby. Subhashchandra Vireshwar Limaye, a devotee of Lord Venkateswara who is the Tirupati temple deity, claims to possess a ruby worth Rs.80 billion and has said he would offer it on November 11 this year. Over 40,000 devotees visit the temple every day. It is also famous for its exports of human hair -- devotees shave their heads as part of rituals there -- and huge kitchens that feed 25,000 devotees daily. The temple, located atop a group of seven hills, funds a university besides other institutions dedicated to the Vedas, oriental studies, teacher training, agriculture, engineering, medicine and veterinary science. --Indo-Asian News Service _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.goanet.org/mailman/listinfo/goanet
