TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is constructing Venkateswara temples along with educational institutes in four Agency areas of Andhra Pradesh at an estimated cost of `4.5 crore each, Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal has said.After performing pooja for Kankanams and other material for the Mana Gudi programme at Tirumala temple on Friday morning, the EO held a brief interaction with the media.
The TTD has decided to construct temples in Araku, Seethampet, Rampachodavaram and Parvathipuram agency areas. The day-to-day activities at the newly constructed temples will be similar to the rituals at Tirumala temple. The TTD will also lay emphasis on education, health, food and nutrition, besides constructing temples in the agency areas to promote Venkateswara Bhakti Tatva and uphold Sanatana Dharma. The TTD has already taken up construction of 500 small temples in SC, ST, BC colonies and backward habitations in the State. A sum of `10 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose. The TTD will release `15 crore more for construction of the temples. Some more development activities are in the pipeline, the TTD EO said.
The EO also announced that the TTD is going to construct a Venkateswara temple in Bhubaneswar, where it has a Kalyana Mandapam. Tirupati Joint Executive Officer P Bhaskar and the Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad have been asked to prepare an action plan for various development activities for 2018. A meeting to be held in the third week of December will discuss the proposals, Singhal said.
‘Mana Gudi’
The Mana Gudi programme will be held in 300 temples in AP and Telangana from December 1 to 3. After the puja, the Kankanams and other material will be sent to the temples in AP and Telangana for the Manda Gudi, which will be implemented in coordination with the Endowments and Revenue Departments and the concerned district administration.