Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday sanctioned Rs 100 crore for development of Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple at Vemulawada in Karimnagar district. The temple is popularly known as Dakshin Kashi. The state government has drawn up a mega plan to develop the temple at a cost of Rs 250 crore. Of this, the chief minister announced sanction of Rs 100 crore for the first phase of development programme.
KCR, accompanied by his wife, visited the temple and performed ‘Rudrabhishekam’ to the presiding deity, Lord Shiva. He also made offering to the deity. Temple priests welcomed the chief minister with ‘Purnakumbham’ and other temple honours. Earlier, he offered prayers at the dargah inside the complex and offered sandal and ‘gilaf’ to the saint.
The CM also held a review meet with officials of rural water supply, roads and buildings, revenue and endowment departments. He instructed the local body authorities not to issue permission to multi-storied buildings within a radius of 1,200 metres from the temple complex. “The height of the buildings within this radius should be restricted so that they do not stand taller than the ‘rajagopuram’ of the temple,” he said.
Later, interacting with media, he said that the main road leading to the temple will be widened. “We have sanctioned Rs 100 crore for immediate works. We will allocate Rs 100 crore in the state budget exclusively for development of the temple. We will convert the temple into a major Hari Hara Kshetram in south India,” KCR said.
He said that a team of experts from Hyderabad will be deputed to study the topography and prepare plans for the overall development of Vemulawada and its surroundings. He said renowned saints and swamijis from across the country will be invited to the temple.
Source: The Times of India