State govt to develop spiritual tourism circuit

Guntur: In a significant move to boost spiritual tourism, the state government has announced plans to develop a spiritual tourism circuit connecting several prominent temples across the state. Minister for tourism and cultural affairs, Kandula Durgesh, said that the initiative will include Devuni Kadapa, Pushpagiri, Brahmamgari Matham, Vontimitta, Gandi, Yaganti, Nandavaram, and Mahanandi temples.

Answering queries raised by YSRCP members in the Legislative Council on Tuesday, Durgesh stated that the government has proposed to develop the Vontimitta Sitarama Swamy temple as part of the spiritual tourism circuit. He emphasised the need to enhance facilities at these temples to attract more devotees and tourists.

The minister outlined plans to develop key temples, including the Lakshmi Venkateswara Swamy temple at Devuni Kadapa, Chennakesava Swamy temple at Pushpagiri, Brahmamgari Matham, Vontimitta Kondandaramalayam, Veerajaneya Swamy temple at Gandi, Yaganti Uma Maheswara Swamy temple, Nandavaram Chowdeswara Swamy Matham, and Mahanandi Mahanandeswara Swamy temple.

Durgesh dwelt on the current challenges faced by devotees, particularly at Vontimitta, where inadequate facilities force visitors to stay only for a few hours. He stressed the need for devotees to spend two to three days to fully explore the surrounding temples. To address this, the government plans to modernise Vontimitta Cheruvu and introduce boating facilities. Additionally, resorts will be constructed to accommodate devotees comfortably.

The minister criticised the previous YSRCP government for neglecting the Haritha Resorts near Vontimitta, which could have supported tourism development. He also mentioned that the Central government is likely to support the initiative under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) Scheme. Durgesh recalled meeting Union tourism minister Gajendra Shekhawat in Delhi, who assured cooperation for the development of tourism in Andhra Pradesh.