MULUGU: Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya, popularly known as Seethakka, on Thursday flagged off helicopter services to the Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara from the Degree College Ground near Gattamma Temple in Mulugu.
Inviting pilgrims to take to the skies from Hanamkonda to Medaram, the minister said devotees could also opt for joyrides to soak in a bird’s eye view of the jatara, at a price meant for those who could afford it.
Drawing a contrast with the past, she recalled how devotees once travelled to Medaram by bullock carts. Over the years, journeys shifted to cars and now, she said, “the days of helicopters are here.”
The service is being operated by the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation in collaboration with Thumby Aviation Private Limited, offering direct helicopter connectivity to Medaram village.
TSTDC officials said a helipad has been set up at Padigapur near Medaram to support the operations. The joyrides, lasting six to seven minutes, offer an aerial view of the jatara and are priced at `4,800 per person.
A round trip helicopter service from Hanamkonda to Medaram costs Rs 35,999. The services will be available from 8.00 am to 5.20 pm until January 31, giving pilgrims a quicker and scenic way to reach the jatara.
Guv to visit Mattapalli temple
Suryapet: Jishnu Dev Varma is scheduled to visit Mattapalli, a major pilgrimage centre in Suryapet district, on Friday. At 10 am, the Governor, accompanied by his wife Sudha Dev Varma, will offer prayers at the 1,000-year-old Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple. Following the darshan and special rituals, he will attend a formal programme at 10.30 am at the open grounds outside the temple complex.
During the visit, the governor will unveil foundation plaques for several development projects in Huzurnagar and Kodad constituencies. These include a new Government Agricultural College in Huzurnagar at an estimated cost of `123 crore and a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Kodad with an investment of `50 crore. He will also lay the foundation stone for a new choultry and a modern kitchen building to improve facilities for devotees visiting the Mattapalli shrine.
Surekha visits Nagoba jatAra
Adilabad: Minister for Forests, Environment and Endowments Konda Surekha visited the Keslapur Nagoba Jatara and offered prayers to the snake god in the district on Thursday. She later took part in a public grievance programme organised on the premises and said that the state government had sanctioned `22 crore for the development of the Nagoba temple, including better facilities for devotees and improvement of surrounding infrastructure.
She also said the chief minister had released `250 crore for the construction of permanent structures at Medaram. Noting that the Nagoba temple too has a rich historical legacy, she said officials had been directed to prepare a comprehensive master plan to take up permanent development works. She assured them that the state government would provide honorarium to seven members, including priests, serving at the temple under the Dhoopa Deepa Naivaidyam scheme, and said steps would also be taken to appoint additional staff.