Srisailam Gets ₹188 Crore For New Queue Complex, ₹100 Crore For Public Amenities

AP government has sanctioned ₹100 crore for public amenities at Srisailam as the daily footfall at the temple town has increased from between 5,000 and 10,000 to 20,000 and 30,000.

The money will be used for building a dining hall with a capacity to accommodate around 5,000 people at a time, and common facilities for tonsure and other basic amenities for devotees. ₹9 crore have been proposed for additional toilets at several locations.

Srisailam Devasthanam chairman P. Ramesh Naidu said, “We will complete the construction of public amenities buildings within a year. The government has also allocated ₹188 crore for the queue complex.”

The existing queue complex is congested, prompting the government to sanction ₹188 crore for a new complex. Tenders are expected to be invited soon. The facility is likely to be completed within two years. The new complex will be able to handle a daily inflow of up to 50,000 devotees.

Accommodation is another concern, with existing choultries and government facilities able to cater only for around 15,000 devotees a day. The government is considering expanding these facilities. Devotee N. Narayana Swamy pointed out that accommodation had become increasingly difficult to find at Srisailam.

“I visit Srisailam once a year, but whenever I come here, getting a room is very difficult. The toilet facilities are also inadequate. These basic facilities should be improved first,” Narayana Swamy underlined.

Temple statistics show that more than 10 lakh devotees visited Srisailam during the Sravana Masam. With Karthika month approaching, the number of devotees is expected to increase again, as will hundi collections.

“Devotees are increasing and hundi collections are also rising. But the facilities are not increasing at the same pace. Authorities should focus on accommodation, toilets, and other basic amenities,” devotee P. Charan underlined.

Temple officials revealed that hundi collections, which had been earlier around ₹3 crore to ₹4 crore every three weeks, have increased to around ₹5 crore to ₹7 crore. The proposed infrastructure projects are aimed at meeting the growing requirements of devotees.

Srisailam Temple Statistics

Particulars – Present status

Average number of devotees visiting Srisailam – 30,000 per day

Hundi income – ₹5–₹7 crore

Rooms in private choultries – 1,600

Rooms owned by Srisailam Temple – 697

Devotees who can be accommodated per day – 15,000