Minister Durgesh Says Efforts On to Get UNESCO Recognition for Lepakshi
Durgesh said the Tourism department's goal is to make a tourist, who comes for a one-day visit, to continue the stay for two to three days.
Anantapur: Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh underlined on Thursday that efforts are continuing to transform Lepakshi in the Hindupur constituency of Sri Sathya Sai district into an international tourism centre. This is to ensure that Lepakshi gets recognition from UNESCO as a World Heritage Centre.
Speaking to media after offering pujas at Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple, Durgesh pointed out that the Lepakshi site, with its magnificent art and sculptural wealth, has already secured a place in UNESCO’s tentative list of world heritage sites.
“Building on this, the state government will follow all necessary processes to ensure that Lepakshi gets permanent recognition from UNESCO as the World Heritage Centre,” the Tourism minister emphasised.
In this regard, he said every inch of Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple, built nearly 450–500 years ago, stands as a symbol of magnificent sculptural craftsmanship. He promised to develop not only the Lepakshi Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple, but also the Kadiri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, and the abode of Sathya Sai Baba in Puttaparthi, into a “Temple Circuit.”
Durgesh said the Tourism department's goal is to make a tourist, who comes for a one-day visit, to continue the stay for two to three days. In this regard, he mentioned that hotels and resorts are being made available under the public-private partnership mode for providing adequate accommodation for tourists. He pointed out that eco, temple, heli, agri, and adventure facilities are being created in several areas to transform Andhra Pradesh into a Tourism Hub.
The minister said CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM K. Pawan Kalyan are taking special interest in developing tourism in the state by providing incentives to investors. He pointed out that investments totalling to ₹17,000 crore have been secured by the tourism sector at the recent CII Summit.
Durgesh criticised the previous government for demolishing Haritha Resorts in Visakhapatnam, which yielded an annual revenue of ₹7 crore to the tourism sector. Instead, it built a palace at Rushikonda, thereby harming the interests of the Tourism department.
