Tirupati: Reliance Industries Executive Director Anant Ambani visited the Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, where he offered prayers and participated in the traditional tonsure ritual, donating his hair as part of a centuries-old religious practice observed by devotees at the shrine.
Anant Ambani took part in the early morning Suprabhata Seva and had darshan of Lord Venkateswara before undergoing the ritual. The offering of hair at Tirumala is regarded by devotees as an act of surrender, humility and gratitude, symbolising the renunciation of ego and worldly attachments. Thousands of pilgrims follow the practice every day at the temple.
The gesture attracted significant attention as Anant Ambani’s long hair had become one of his most recognisable personal features in recent years. Following the darshan, temple priests and Vedic scholars blessed him with Veda Ashirvachanam at the Ranganayakula Mandapam within the temple complex. Temple authorities also presented him with Srivari Theertha Prasadam and honoured him with a ceremonial silk shawl.
During his visit, Anant Ambani also announced that Reliance Industries would donate 25 electric buses worth around ₹27.5 crore to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). He further offered to support EV charging infrastructure in Tirumala and said the company would bear the salaries and benefits of 50 drivers required to operate the buses.
Anant Ambani has frequently undertaken religious pilgrimages in recent months, visiting several prominent temples across the country as part of his spiritual engagements.
