The newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will soon have a grand temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara. The government of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday approved the proposal to allot the required area of land to build a replica of the famous Tirupati temple near Jammu.
The Administrative Council (AC), which is headed by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, met and approved the proposal to allocate 496 kanals of land on lease for 40 years to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for building a temple and allied infrastructure, an official spokesman was quoted as saying.
The TTD, which manages the affairs of the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, is also planning to set up a Vedapathasala, spiritual/meditation centre, residential quarters and medical and educational facilities in the area.
The land will be given on lease for a period of 40 years. Confirming the news, the official spokesperson of TTD stated that the TTD is an independent trust established by the government under the TTD Act, 1932 and is globally reputed for its contribution to cultural, charitable and spiritual work.
The spokesperson added that the arrival of TTD in J and K will not only boost the tourism potential of the UT due to pilgrims, but also will enhance economies in the area.
In February this year, the administration of Jammu and Kashmir had agreed to allocate land to TTD near the Jammu-Katra highway for constructing a temple of Sri Venkateswara Swamy. TTD will be constructing a temple along with a Vedic school and hospital in a minimum span of two years.
Besides Jammu and Kashmir, TTD has also planned to build grand temples of Lord Venkateswara, on the lines of the famous Tirupathi temple, in the sacred city of Varanasi and Mumbai.
Construction of temples in Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, and Bhuvaneshwar is underway. The TTD has constructed Sri Venkateswara Swamy temples in Hyderabad, Kurukshetra, and Kanyakumari which are functional and attract impressive pilgrim populations.