TIRUPATI: Development activities and infrastructure projects worth Rs 100 crore were taken up in and around Srikalahasteeswara Swamy temple, situated at Srikalahasti town in Chittoor district. The temple, located on the banks of river Swarnamukhi, attracts devotees not only from Andhra Pradesh but also from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Northern States. The development projects include beautification of river Swarnamukhi bunds, laying of new roads, construction of new cottages and guest house for the devotees visiting the temple.
The temple has a footfall of nearly 35,000 during weekdays and 70,000 on weekends. Srikalahasti has been included in the TUDA (Tirupati Urban Development Authority) region. The temple fetched a revenue of Rs 146 crore in 2017-18 fiscal, which was the highest among all other temples in the State after the Lord Venkateswara’s Temple in Tirumala. The Endowments department had devised a master plan aimed at creating more amenities keeping in mind the needs of the next 50 years. But, it has not been implemented due to various reasons.
Now, the administration has been developing the banks of Swarnamukhi river. Authorities are planning to set up a handicraft shopping complex. Officials are also planning to introduce boating in the Swarnamukhi river to make Srikalahasti a tourism centre. “The State government has been giving top priority for the development of the temple.
The temple administration has already grounded development works, including beautification of bunds of river Swarnamukhi, construction of new cottages and rest houses,” said the Srikalahasti MLA Biyyapu Madhusudhan Reddy. The State government is planning to construct a 22-km-long Giri-Pradakshina route encircling the hill to Srikalahasti temple at a cost of Rs 16.5 crore.