VIJAYAWADA: Temple tourism is very popular in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and similarly, measures are being taken to promote all prominent shrines in Andhra Pradesh by publishing monthly magazines on temple tourism, said Kottu Satyanarayana, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Endowments, while addressing the media at the Secretariat, on Tuesday.
Adding more to the details, the minister stated that these monthly magazines will be published in such a way as to inform the residents of another region about the features of the temples in one region, the details of 6 (A) temples, the programmes held in the respective temples. For this, a centralised advisory and editorial board is being formed at the state-level.
Several famous temples like Annavaram, Simhachalam, Srikalahasti, Kanipakam and others have been issued orders to publish new monthly magazines and all necessary administrative permissions have been issued, the minister lamented.
The Deputy CM emphasised that a monthly magazine ‘Aradhana’ is already being published under the auspices of the Endowments department which has more than 32,000 subscribers. He further added that there was an editorial board with five members before the bifurcation of the State, the members of which has now been increased to seven.
“Measures are being taken to publish the Dharma Sandehalu, a magazine compiling common religious doubts, with the support of famous spiritual orators such as Chaganti Koteswara Rao, Garikapati Narasimha Rao, Samavedham Shanmuksharma etc. A monthly magazine Kanaka Durga Prabha is being published under the auspices of Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Vari Devasthanam, a famous temple in Vijayawada, and a monthly magazine Srisaila Prabha is being published under the auspices of Srishaila Devasthanam,” he added.
“The monthly festivals Masotsavams, began on August 6 at Annavaram, on August 16 at Srikalahasti, and on September 14 at Sri Vigneswara Temple, Kanipakam to convey the importance of Hinduism to the current generation,” the minister observed. He further stated that the festivals will be held at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Temple, Dwaraka Tirumala, Simhachalam, Srisailam and Penuganchiprolu Sri Tirupatamma temples.