Thirupathi: In a bid to promote Hindu Sanatana Dharma and to contain religious conversions, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will construct 1,342 Lord Venkateswara temples across Andhra Pradesh with funds donated by the devotees to Sri Venkateswara Alaya Nirmanam (Srivani) trust of the TTD.
TTD executive officer A.V. Dharma Reddy announced this on Thursday after signing an MoU to this effect with the Samarasata Seva Foundation, in coordination with the state endowments department in Tirupati.
Speaking on the occasion, the EO said the TTD has already constructed 502 temples in the first phase at a cost of Rs 25 crore from Srivani trust funds and with the coordination of Samarasata Seva Foundation.
“Upon the directives of TTD chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy, the committee has collected the details of the list of temples, identified the land and has submitted details to the Samarasata Seva Foundation. Initially, the construction of 120 temples out of 1,342 will be taken up”, he said.
He said the TTD has constituted the Srivani Trust in 2019 for rejuvenation of old and dilapidated Hindu temples. "As of now Rs 500 crore has been received in the form of donations to the trust. The trust funds are also used to undertake necessary repairs and for providing financial assistance to the temples for Dhoopa, Deepa and Naivedyam”, he said and added that a new policy will be announced at the Srivani Trust board meeting scheduled for September 3.”
