Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams to gold plate Govindaraja Swamy temple gopuram

TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will take up gold plating of Sri Govindaraja Swamy temple gopuram. About 100 kg of gold worth Rs 32 crore from the TTD treasury will be used for the purpose. The works will begin on September 14 and they are expected to be completed by May 2022.

TTD Executive Officer KS Jawahar Reddy held a meeting with officials at Govindaraja Swamy temple on Saturday to discuss the gold plating project. Pontiffs of Tirumala, advisors on Vaikhanasa Agama Shastra and archakas also participated in the meeting. 

In September 2019, the TTD decided to gold plate gopurams of Sri Bhu Varaha Swamy temple at Tirumala and Sri Govindaraja Swamy temple in Tirupati.  Earlier, it was decided to close the temple for a few days to facilitate the gold plating of gopuram. Now, Balalayam will be constructed to perform daily rituals to the presiding deity during gold plating of gopuram without closing the temple. 

Devotees, however, will be allowed to have Darshan of Lord Govindaraja Swamy in the sanctum sanctorum during the works, the EO said. 

The TTD had awarded the gold plating work to an agency. It has made replicas of gopuram with Plaster of Paris using 3-dimensional technology. Copper moulds will be made as per the replicas of gopuram and later the gold plating work will be taken up, the EO said.  Later, he inspected sub-temples on the premises of Govindaraja temple complex.