CM sets 30-month deadline for Amaravati temple expansion

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to complete the Rs 260 crore expansion of the Venkateswara Swamy temple at Venkatapalem within two and a half years, declaring that the capital-region shrine will be developed on the model of Tirumala.

Naidu laid the foundation stone for the project on Thursday and reviewed the two-phase construction plan. In the first phase, a fortified rampart will be built at a cost of Rs 92 crore, along with a seven-storey Maha Rajagopuram, Arjitha Seva Mandapam, Addala Mandapam, Vahana Mandapam, Ratha Mandapam, Anjaneya Swamy temple, Pushkarini and cut-stone flooring works costing Rs 48 crore.

The second phase, estimated at Rs 120 crore, includes Mada streets, approach roads, an Annadana complex, a meditation hall, administrative buildings, rest houses for pilgrims, quarters for priests and staff, and vehicle parking facilities.

Naidu recalled that Amaravati was named with the “grace of Lord Venkateswara” and said the 25-acre temple site on the banks of the Krishna River symbolised the capital’s spiritual identity.

He praised the 29,000 farmers who voluntarily contributed 33,000 acres for the capital project, saying their goodwill stood in contrast to what he described as the “five years of destruction” under the previous government.

Naidu emotionally described himself as a lifelong devotee of Lord Venkateswara, saying he would never allow any act that could bring disrepute to the deity. He recounted past experiences, including surviving a Naxalite attack during a pilgrimage visit, and said divine grace protects work done with sincerity. He welcomed the Rs 100-crore contribution from Raymond Group for the Amaravati temple.

Union minister Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, ministers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and Narayana, TTD chairman B R Naidu, MLAs, board members, farmers and devotees attended the ceremony.