News Brief
Andhra Pradesh To Rebuild Over 9,000 Temples, Endowments Minister Allocates Rs 772 Crore Budget
Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Andhra Pradesh, India. (Hk Rajashekar/The India Today Group/Getty Images)
Andhra Pradesh’s Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy has announced the reconstruction of 9,098 temples across the state with an allocated budget of Rs 772 crore, Times of India reported.
The minister made the announcement during his visit to Srikakulam as part of the “First Step in Good Governance” programme.
Accompanied by MLA Gond Shankar, Reddy visited the historic Arasavalli Sri Suryanarayana Swami and Srikurmam Sri Kurmanadha Swami temples, where he was greeted by Vedic scholars and offered prayers.
The minister said Rs 10,000 each is being disbursed to 5,523 temples for routine rituals such as incense, lamps, and offerings, amounting to Rs 66.27 crore.
In Srikakulam district alone, Rs 1.96 crore has already been disbursed for temple reconstruction, and Rs 12.75 crore sanctioned for 20 new works.
Three temples in the district are also set for comprehensive reconstruction under a Rs 5 crore fund, with proposals already in place.
He confirmed that the Arasavalli temple pond has been cleaned post the Chief Minister’s visit and announced plans for further development.
At the Srikurmam temple, coordination with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is underway, and a site inspection has been promised within 10 days.
Efforts are ongoing to preserve the heritage of Arasavalli and Srikurmam temples for future generations, the minister said, highlighting that the Arasavalli temple’s annual celebration has now been accorded state festival status.
