The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has resolved to take up construction of 111 temples across 26 districts in the State.
These temples will come up as a part of the second phase of the TTD’s ambitious project of building 1,342 temples in the SC, ST, and BC colonies to promote the ‘Sanatana Hindu Dharma’. These are being constructed with the funds of the Sri Venkateswara Alaya Nirmana (SriVani) Trust.
In the first phase, the TTD has already constructed 502 temple in collaboration with the Samarasata Seva Foundation.
The intention behind construction of temples in the remote and backward localities is to check growing religious conversions.
Presiding over a high-level review meeting in Tirupati on Saturday, TTD Executive officer A.V. Dharma Reddy directed the SriVani Trust officials to come up with a road map on the construction of temples and date of their completion.
In the proposed second phase, nine temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara, along with 77 temples of Lord Sri Rama, two Lord Hanuman, and three Lord Shiva, and 20 temples dedicated to local folk Goddesses will be constructed with a budgetary allocation of ₹10 lakh each.
Mr. Reddy told the officials that the management had taken up the challenging task of constructing 1,342 temples in a span of two years, and hence the progress of works would be reviewed once in every two months.
He also directed the officials to ensure that the required puja materials were provided and training imparted to all the ‘archakas’ at the Sri Venkateswara Employees Training Academy (SVETA) on the conduct of daily puja.
JEOs Sada Bharghavi and Veerabrahmam, FACAO Balaji, Chief Engineer Nageswar Rao and Samarasata Seva Foundation chairman Vishnu were among others present.
