Blueprint Ready for Srisailam’s Development
District administration is collecting data from officials to shape the master plan and finalise development concepts aimed at attracting more devotees
Kurnool: A master plan is being drafted for Srisailam temple town with a view to developing the area into a major spiritual and eco-tourism hub.
The Andhra Pradesh government, in collaboration with the Centre, is focusing on transforming Srisailam and its surrounding areas into a world-class destination by blending religious, natural and cultural attractions. Around 50 acres out of the 178 acres of revenue land identified at Sunnipenta are being allocated to the tourism department.
In earlier allocations, 719 acres out of 1,468.52 acres of irrigation land there were distributed among various departments to facilitate development.
In tune with these district-level efforts, a high-level meeting was recently held at Srisailam to discuss broader strategies for the temple town’s development.
Meanwhile, under a central initiative, Srisailam has been selected, along with Dwaraka and Khajuraho, for intensive spiritual and eco-tourism development. Plans are being made to enhance transportation facilities, improve accommodation and upgrade visitor amenities to meet the growing inflow of pilgrims and tourists.
The district administration has advised officials to provide the data for the master plan preparation.
A proposal under consideration is the introduction of seaplane services, which is expected to improve accessibility to Srisailam and attract tourists from across the country. However, the state government has yet to take the initiative for this.
Officials said both the central and state governments are coordinating between them to implement the project in phases over the next six to eight months. The aim would also be to balance tourism promotion with the preservation of Srisailam’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage.
District collector Rajakumari has asked officials to prepare and submit all required documents, including survey numbers and area-wise land details, to expedite the master plan preparation. The government’s primary objective is to enable devotees to spend at least three days in Srisailam to explore the natural and cultural attractions in the region.
Accordingly, she said, a development strategy based on nine major concepts is being drafted, covering aspects of accommodation, queue lines, transportation, parking and other basic infrastructure to enhance the overall visitor experience.
