Andhra allocates Rs 800 crore for development of ancient temples

Andhra Pradesh Endowments Minister A Ramnarayan Reddy on Monday said the State Government has allocated over Rs 800 crore for the development of nearly 700 neglected ancient temples in the State.

Presenting the achievements of the Endowments Department in the past two years under the TDP-led Government, Reddy said the funds for developing these temples were sanctioned under the ‘Sarvasreyonidhi’ scheme.

“We have created history by allotting Rs 813 crore under Sarvyasreyonidhi to develop 692 neglected ancient temples,” he said, addressing a press conference in the secretariat.

The Endowments Minister said the department has set a target to build 5,000 ‘Srivani Bhajan Mandirs’ (places for worship) at a cost of Rs 750 crore with cooperation from TTD, the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati.

Of the proposed target, Reddy said approvals were granted for 1,270 ‘Srivani Bhajan Mandirs’ with an allocation of Rs 267 crore.

According to the minister, the annual allocation for ‘dhoopa deepa naivedya’ scheme (rituals such as lighting lamps, smoke and others) in 6,137 temples across the state has been doubled to Rs 73 crore from Rs 35 crore.

Further, he said the Endowments Department has started blockchain-based digitalisation of nearly 4.5 lakh acres of land belonging to 22,672 temples to protect them.

Across 111 temples in the southern State, Reddy said the Government is extending ‘Annaprasada Vitarana’ (free food) to three crore devotees annually.

“Devotees’ footfalls in major temples rose by 70 per cent in the past two years. People’s faith in temples has increased,” he said.

With the aim of conducting Godavari Pushkaralu (pilgrimage along the Godavari River) on the lines of the Kumbh Mela, Reddy said 162 development works were started at a cost of Rs 72 crore.