The sacred hill temple of Lord Venkateswara is all-set to regain its lost glory with the TTD resolving to re-construct the ancient thousand-pillar mandapam at Tirumala.
The massive granite structure which once majestically stood opposite to the hill temple was razed to the ground in the year 2003 as part of the implementation of the master plan aimed at de-congesting the area around the main temple complex.
Even though the decision to dismantle the centuries old structure was taken as back as in the year 1983 the successive managements repeatedly postponed its implementation owing to political compulsions.
The issue however took an ugly turn with eminent religious leaders tearing into the TTD’s decision which started acquiring shape in the initial years of the century.
Even though no traces of religious importance of any kind is found in the temple history to the antediluvian structure, a strong wave of resentment criticising the TTD’s act then swept across the State.
The people of the State who remained swaddled amidst strong sentiments that the pulling down of the structure would spell doom on the State bitterly criticised the TTD and termed the decision as precipitous.
The sentimental wave that swept across the State was so strong that even the aborted attempt on the life of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu the following month at Alipiri in Tirupati was attributed to the proposed demolition of the monolithic structure.
Co-incidentally the reconstruction of the mandapam has once again gained pace under the stewardship of TTD Chairman Ch. Krishnamurthy – the one among the four victims who had survived the Alipiri bomb blast. The then legislator of Tirupati Mr. Murthy had accompanied Chief Minister Naidu in his car to Tirumala on the fateful day.
With Mr. Murthy again at the helm of the TTD’s affairs, the board of trustees during its meet in April this year finally resolved to reconstruct the mandapam at Tirumala.
Narayanagiri gardens
According to the latest proposals, the mandapam will be reconstructed in the sprawling Narayanagiri gardens in an area of about 10,000 sq ft. The pillars of the erstwhile mandapam will be used in the new structure.
Even though it has been formally resolved to reconstruct the mandapam on the similar lines as it existed before, more of ornamental works is expected to go-in the new construction.
The management also has resolved to take the suggestions of its Sthapati advisor Lakshmi Narayana ahead of finalising the designs.
Having obtained the formal approval of the Chief Minister, the nine-member sub-committee headed by Mr Murthy is expected to finalise the design works for the mandapam during its next meet shortly. According to rough estimates, the cost of the reconstruction works is likely to run around Rs. 20 crores.
The nine-member sub-committee headed by TTD Chairman Ch. Krishnamurthy is expected to finalise the design works for the mandapam during its next meet shortly
