HYDERABAD: As part of its effort to preserve, propagate and promote Hindu Sanatana Dharma among weaker sections of the society, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and Endowments Department will soon construct 500 temples in SC, ST and fishermen community colonies in the State.
Disclosing this to media persons at secretariat here on Tuesday, Endowments Minister P Manikyala Rao said 300 temples would be constructed in ST colonies and 100 each in SC and fishermen’s colonies. “Each temple would be constructed at a cost of about Rs 8 lakh,” he added.
According to Manikyala Rao, all the proposed temples will have priests from the same community and he will be paid Rs 5,000 per month as stipend. “The endowments department will provide training to archakas of these communities for 10 days before entrusting the job of priests in the newly constructed temples,” he said. Rao went on to add that this year they would be training about 1,000 archakas belonging to these communities.
In order to promote religious and cultural activities in these temples, local bhajan mandalis will be attached to the temples who would perform during various religious occasions, the endowments minister said.