Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday asked the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) to complete the expansion work of the Venkateswara Swamy temple being built in Amaravati at a cost of Rs 260 crore in two and a half years. He said the temple would be developed on the lines of Tirumala. 

The Chief Minister participated in the foundation stone laying ceremony of the expansion of the temple in Venkatapalem village in the capital region. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu took part in the Purnahuti program at the Yagasala. After that, he laid the foundation stone for the expansion works amidst the priests chanting vedic mantras and the devotees chanting the name of Govidam. 

With this, the works for the second Mahaprakara and Chaturthyara Gopurams in the temple commenced. The work will be completed in two phases. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that with a holy resolve, the Sri Venkateswara temple is being built in an area of 25 acres in the capital city Amaravati on the lines of Tirumala, which, he said, would “give us strength”. 

He mentioned on this occasion that he would not do anything that would defame the Lord and made it clear that even though he was the Chief Minister, he was visiting Tirumala temple as an ordinary devotee only.On this occasion the Chief Minister recalled that in 2003, it was Lord Venkateshwara who saved his life even when naxalites planted 23 claymore mines. Informing that TTD would be constructing temples in all the states, he appealed to devotees to come forward and cooperate.