Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam, Simhachalam, will be taking up a massive drive to construct at least 100 kalyana mandapams, in a phased manner in the next couple of years, said hereditary trustee of the devasthanam and Union Minister of Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju here on Friday.
Book released
Speaking to The Hindu after releasing the book brought out by the newspaper on the occasion of the annual fair of the temple ‘Chanadanatotsav’, Mr. Ashok said it had already been discussed with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and it has been agreed upon.
“The idea is to serve all the strata of society. The lower end Kalyana Mandapam will be given free of cost and at the same time there will be high-end ones for those who can afford and will be a revenue generation platform for the temple,” he said.
Solar initiative
The Minister also expressed happiness over the solar initiative of the temple. “The solar plant generates about 1 mw power, which caters to the electricity needs of the temple. The devasthanam will be saving to the tune of ₹ 90 lakh per annum by making optimum use of the solar plant,” he said.
Mr. Ashok also spoke about taking up extensive beautification initiatives and addressing the issue of basic amenities for the devotees and pilgrims in the future projects.
Executive Officer of the Devasthanam K. Ramachandra Mohan who was present at the book release ceremony expressed satisfaction over the arrangements for the Chanadanaotsav. “This year we will be having over 2 lakh sft of bamboo shamianas and pandals and will be providing continuous supply of water and food for the comfort of the devotees,” he said.
