Taking Venkateswara closer to devotees

Temples at Kurukshetra, Kanyakumari on verge of completion

The Sri Venkateswara temple being constructed by TTD management in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

Lord Venkateswara’s glory will soon spread from Kurukshetra in the north to Kanyakumari at the peninsular tip, as the temples being constructed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) are almost ready.

The Lord of the Seven Hills has devotees across the globe and many of them find it difficult to visit Tirumala frequently, making the TTD management think of constructing temples at various locations. Kurukshetra (Haryana) and Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) came first in the scheme of things and construction started two years back.

The Kanyakumari shrine is built on the land provided by the Vivekananda Centre facing the sea. The idea was set in motion in early 2010 when the TTD management conducted ‘Srivari Kalyanotsavam.’, which was then the first such event to be conducted outside Tirupati. Lakhs of devotees from the districts of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Nagercoil had converged to take a glimpse of the celestial wedding conducted on a full moon night. It was then that the trust board had mooted the idea of constructing a permanent temple at the place identified as ‘prone to religious conversion.’ The temple is expected to be ready by April.

In Kurukshetra, designs were prepared for building the temple in 10 acres, which was later brought down to five.

Apart from the sanctum sanctorum, the aesthetically designed temple complex will have ‘vahana mandapam,’ ‘potu’ (kitchen) and public amenities. Four ‘Mada’ streets are being developed to facilitate the procession of the deities.

Focus on Agency area

After initial delay, tenders were called for constructing accommodation facilities for the priests and civil staff, the completion of which may take longer than expected.

“We have struck a deal with the Kurukshetra Development Authority (KDA) to part with some of the rooms in their choultries. We need not wait for our quarters to be ready,” TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal told The Hindu , indicating that the temple could be inaugurated ‘very soon.’

Another progressive decision at the State level is the construction of Venkateswara temples in the Agency areas of Rampachodavaram, Araku, Parvathipuram and Sitampeta at a cost of ₹4.5 crore each. The areas are not only identified as prone to conversion, but also backward in terms of connectivity and economic activity.