Hyderabad:
Endowments Minister Konda Surekha held a review meeting on Thursday to discuss the preservation and development of the historic Vemulawada temple. The meeting took place at the Secretariat in Hyderabad.
Several officials attended the meeting, including Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Government Whip Adi Srinivas, Manakondur MLA Kavvampally Satyanarayana, and Endowments Principal Secretary Sailaja Ramayyar.
Minister Surekha stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between restoring the temple, developing its infrastructure, and following traditional Agama Shastras. The goal is to preserve the temple’s sanctity and structure for the next 100 years.
She instructed officials to prepare a detailed master plan to improve the temple’s infrastructure. One of the main changes will involve separating parking areas for two-wheelers and four-wheelers to make traffic flow smoother and improve the experience for devotees.
Minister Surekha also highlighted the role of the community in the temple’s development. She suggested exploring funding opportunities through corporate social responsibility (CSR) and donations from philanthropists. Additionally, she plans to request more financial support from Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for the temple’s development.
To create a more spiritual atmosphere, the minister proposed the installation of signboards and the regular playing of devotional music on the temple premises. This would help create a peaceful environment for visitors.
She also called for the establishment of a Vedic school and the expansion of the temple’s Bilva forest, both of which should be created in a spiritually rich environment. A new Dharmagunda (Holy Bath) is also planned to accommodate the increasing number of devotees.
With the approval of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a special programme will soon begin to cover the temple’s Vimana Gopuram with 16 kg of gold at an estimated cost of Rs 6 crore.
Plans are also being made to use the temple’s existing silver reserves to create new idols of local deities and enhance the temple’s offerings.
During the meeting, Minister Surekha asked for a comprehensive report from endowments officials regarding land acquisition and the overall project planning.
Other key attendees included Endowment Commissioner Hanumanthu, Sircilla Collector Sandeep Kumar Jha, and several additional commissioners, temple staff, and advisers.
