Surekha has big plans to develop Vemulawada temple

Hyderabad: In an effort to preserve and develop the historic Vemulawada temple for future generations, Endowments Minister Konda Surekhaheld an extensive review meeting with officials at the Secretariat in Hyderabad on Thursday.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Government Whip Adi Srinivas, Manakondur MLA Kavvampally Satyanarayana, Endowments Principal Secretary Sailaja Ramayyar and others participated in the meeting.

The minister emphasised the need to strike a balance between the restoration, development and adherence to traditional Agama Shastras with the aim of maintaining the temple complex’s sanctity and structure for the next 100 years.

The minister directed officials to prepare a detailed master plan focusing on various infrastructure improvements. Major measures include segregating parking areas for two-wheelers and four-wheelers to provide easier traffic flow and a better experience for devotees.

Recognising the value of community participation in the temple development, Minister Surekha suggested exploring opportunities for funding through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and donations from philanthropic individuals. She also plans to request additional funds from Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to support the temple’s comprehensive development project.

To enhance the spiritual atmosphere on the temple premises, the minister proposed to install sign boards and play devotional music regularly to create a peaceful environment for the devotees.

Minister Surekha called for the establishment of a Vedic school and expansion of Bilva forest, both of which should be built in a spiritually rich environment. Additionally, she directed officials to plan for a new Dharmagunda (Holy Bath) to accommodate the growing number of devotees.

With the approval of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a grand programme involving 16 kg of gold and Rs 6 crore will be taken up soon to cover the temple Vimana Gopuram with gold, the minister said.

Plans are also being made to use the existing silver reserves to make idols of local deities and augment the temple’s spiritual offerings.

In the meeting, the minister asked for a comprehensive report from the endowments officials on land acquisition and comprehensive project planning.

Endowment Commissioner Hanumanthu, Sircilla Collector Sandeep Kumar Jha, Additional Endowment Commissioners Krishnaveni, Jyoti, Vemulawada Temple EO Vinod, Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Adviser Govinda Hari, Sthapathi N Nayagan, Chief Priest Umesh, Architect Suryanarayana Murthy and others were present.