Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday performed bhookarshana and other rituals as a prelude to the construction of Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Venkatapalem village in Amaravati on Thursday. He tilled the land earmarked for garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the proposed temple. The temple is being constructed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
As Vedic scholars chanted mantras, he sprinkled nava dhanya (a mix of nine grains meant for sacrifice during the homa/a ritual) there. The sprouts of these nava dhanya would be used in rituals during foundation stone laying ceremony. The TTD would perform the bhoomi pooja (foundation stone laying ceremony) on February 10.
The Chief Minister said land would be given free of cost to the TTD. The temple would be ready in two years, he said. He turned emotional, while recalling his experience in 2003 wherein Naxalites attacked him at Alipiri near the foothill of Tirumala.
“He (lord Venkateswara Swamy) saved me in 2003 and gave me a rebirth. It is only to do good works and deeds for the people,” he said. “Following footsteps of TDP founder president N.T. Rama Rao, a devotee of Venkateswara Swamy, I am visiting Tirumala temple,” he added.
The TTD is planning to construct the temple in 25 acres allotted by the government at cost of ₹150 crore. The temple would be a replica of the original Balaji temple on Tirumala hills, however, strictly adhering to the Vaastu and Agama Sastra principles. The temple would come up in 5 acres, while in the remaining 20 acres, a master plan is getting ready to construct kalyana mandapam, auditorium, etc.
Tirumala Pedda Jeeyangar, Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, Ministers Prathipati Pulla Rao, P. Narayana, Nakka Anand Babu, Paritala Sunita, Siddha Raghava Rao, Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, TTD chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav, and others were present.