: Amid chanting of Vedic hymns by high priests, the foundation stone for the proposed Rs 150 crore Lord Venkateswara temple at Amaravati,a 'replica' of the famous hill shrine of the deity at nearby Tirumala, was laid Sunday by top officials of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

The construction of the shrine and its linked structures like devotees' accommodations, holy tank and a meditation hall coming up on 25 acres, offered free of cost by the Andhra Pradesh government to TTD, that governs the Lord Venkateswra shrine, would be completed before the advent of summer in 2021, a temple official told PTI here.

On January 31, the TTD management in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, conducted a sacred "Bhukarshanam" (ploughing of the earth), followed by week-long rituals at the site, the official added.

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