Overview
The Dharma Prachara Parishad (DPP) was established to propagate the Hindu dharma, conduct religious programmes and inculcate spiritual awareness among the people. It has 20 centres in Andhra Pradesh and 3 centres in the neighbouring states.
Under the Veda Parayana Scheme, nearly 500 Vedic pandits render Veda Parayanam in temples and receive Sambhavana as per the qualifications - ghanapati, kramapati and old pandits.
The Kumara Adhyapaka Scheme encourages students to learn the Vedas, by paying them a stipend during the period of study.
Dharma Prachara Parishad maintains two Veda Patasalas, one at Dharmagiri in Tirumala and the other at Keesaragutta in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh. The students are paid a stipend for the entire course, besides free boarding and lodging.
Financial assistance is provided to organisations to develop Veda Pathasalas, conduct Veda Sammelanas, Yajnams, etc. DPP also maintains a Pouranika Training Centre at Tirupati to preserve the tradition of Purana Pravachanam.
Regular programmes like Harikathas, musical concerts and discourses are conducted at Asthana Mandapam in Tirumala, Annamacharya Kala Mandiram, Tirupati and surrounding places like Narayanavanam and Nagalapuram.
DPP organises Yajnams, Bhajan melas and Geeta Yajnams in selected towns like Mumbai, Calcutta, Kolhapur, Bangalore, Visakhapatnam and Guntur with the co-operation of local organisations. The field staff organise religious programmes in remote villages.
DPP distributes selected reading materials and conducts an Epics Study examination for school-going children throughout Andhra Pradesh, and presents awards to the top-rankers.Under this scheme more than 2 Lakhs children are trained.
DPP also conducts special religious programmes during fairs and festivals, like Brahmotstava, Pushkaraotsava and at celebrations conducted by other religious institutions.