TIRUPATI: Beyond the famous Tirumala temple and other well-known pilgrim centres, Tirupati district has a vast network of lesser-known temples, heritage structures, waterfalls, forest landscapes and other rural attractions that have remained largely outside the tourism map.
Now, an initiative of the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department aims to bring these hidden destinations into the spotlight and open up fresh opportunities for rural tourism and village-level income generation.
The Tirupati District Panchayat Office has prepared a 90-page, multi-colour coffee-table monograph documenting rural tourism and heritage spots spread across the district.
With photographs, brief descriptions, distances, local facilities and details of the Gram Panchayats concerned, the publication is intended to serve as a ready reference for tourists, pilgrims, tourism agencies and other departments.
The initiative is part of the broader effort under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj’s Panchayat Dharohar initiative to identify and document rural built heritage and cultural assets.
‘Monograph designed to multi-departmental efforts’
Speaking to TNIE , Tirupati District Panchayat Officer (DPO) Susheela Devi said the Tirupati documentation follows a pioneering publication prepared for Kurukshetra district in Haryana and is among the early State-level efforts of its kind.
The monograph brings together information on religious, historical and cultural sites besides eco-tourism attractions such as forest areas and waterfalls. Many of these places are popular among local people but remain relatively unknown to visitors from other parts of Andhra Pradesh, other States and abroad.
The Panchayat Raj Department hopes that systematic documentation and promotion will help shift the focus of tourists beyond established destinations and encourage them to explore the rural hinterland of Tirupati district. Such a change could also create economic opportunities for villagers through local transport, food services, small eateries, handicrafts, accommodation, guides and other tourism-related activities.
“The monograph is designed to bridge multi-departmental efforts collaborating with tourism, archaeology, and forestry to build vital amenities like parking and public facilities at the grassroots level, making our spiritual and rural heritage more accessible to pilgrims and tourists,” Susheela Devi said.
The initiative also seeks to give Gram Panchayats a greater role in preserving and promoting local heritage. Once visitor footfall increases, Panchayats could potentially generate revenue through permitted local services and facilities, while villagers could benefit from increased economic activity.
The department is also looking beyond conventional tourism promotion, around 48 hidden rural tourist spots have been documented with photographs and digital assets are being shared with film federations and media channels to showcase rural locations in the district as potential shooting destinations.
“We are actively sharing these documented booklets and digital assets with film federations and media channels to highlight our region as a prime shooting location and to ensure our rural potential is properly recognised,” the DPO said. The effort comes at a time when tourists increasingly seek experiences beyond conventional pilgrimage and sightseeing.
Tirupati, already one of the country’s major pilgrimage destinations, has the potential to use its large visitor base to introduce travellers to nearby rural landscapes, heritage sites and community-based attractions. The next challenge for the authorities will be to convert the information contained in its 90 pages into facilities, visitor experiences and sustainable economic activity on the ground.
With the initiative being taken forward under the aegis of Deputy Chief Minister and Panchayat Raj Minister Pawan Kalyan, and through a coordinated multi-departmental approach, the lesser-known rural attractions of Tirupati district could gradually find a place on the itineraries of visitors from across Andhra Pradesh, other parts of India and abroad.
If the documented locations are promoted effectively and supported with basic amenities, the initiative could create a new rural tourism circuit around Tirupati. It could simultaneously help preserve local heritage, provide greater visibility to lesser-known destinations.