Boon to devotees: Cottages to come up on Ydgr gutta hillock

Hyderabad: As part of measures to restore old customs at Yadagirigutta, the Yadagirigutta Temple authorities are planning to build cottages/satrams on the hillock to facilitate overnight stays for devotees. The authorities propose to have 200 rooms near the Shiva Temple with the help of donors.

There were cottages/satrams in the temple premises in the past at the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Yadagirigutta.

These accommodations were helpful for devotees to stay overnight during their journeys and were funded by donations. However, during the renovation process of the temple, these cottages were razed, and presently there is no provision for staying on the hills.

The temple has undergone many changes after the renovation undertaken by the Yadadri Temple Development Authorities (YTDA). However, some customs have not been in place for a long time. There was a practice of sleeping on the hill depending on the ‘mandalam’ (which used to last for 21 or 40 days). After numerous requests, Endowments Minister Konda Surekha directed officials to provide a place for this ritual. Officials provided a dormitory that could accommodate 1,000 pilgrims at a time. The government whip also laid the foundation for a shed on the hill to allow pilgrims to spend time at the temple site.

Along with the dormitory, there are currently no rooms on the hillock. Devotees coming for the pilgrimage are finding it difficult to fulfill their vows.

They expressed sadness that the temple premises have become more of a tourist spot than a true pilgrimage center, where they need to have darshan and immediately descend from the hill. They lamented that the pilgrimage center should at least have cottages or rooms, but the past government did not take this into consideration.

To address this issue, the officials of the YTDA have proposed building cottages, which would be constructed with the help of donors. YTDA Chairman Kishan Rao stated that there is a proposal and they are waiting for a meeting with the chief minister on this issue. They have estimated Rs 2 crore for a four-room cottage. Previous donors who contributed for cottages in the temple will be given priority, according to the YTDA chairman.