Famed Vemulawada shrine to get Rs 76 cr fund push for makeover

Hyderabad: The Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple at Vemulawada is set to get a makeover as the State government on Monday provided administrative sanction of Rs 76 crore for the works of ‘expansion of temple complex and providing modern amenities to the pilgrims’.

After the renovation of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Yadagirigutta, the focus of the State government is on Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple at Vemulawada. Out of the Rs 76 crore, Rs 50 crore is dedicated to the Vemulawada Temple Area Development Authority in the budget estimates of 2024-25, and the remaining Rs 26 crore will be used for works in the financial year 2025-26. Hereby this permits the vice chairman of the Vemulawada Temple Area Development Authority to initiate the tenders and commence the works in anticipation of the allotment of funds in the budget estimates 2025–26 for the work of ‘expansion of temple complex and providing modern amenities to pilgrims at Sri Raja Rajeshwara Temple, Vemulawada’.

The government also issued orders providing administrative sanction for an amount of over Rs 47.85 crore for initiating the land acquisition process to acquire the structure and open sites for widening of the road from Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple to Mulavagu bridge.

The State government had allocated Rs 500 crore in the budget for the years 2024–25. The DTCP has also approved the plan of widening the internal road leading to the temple in Vemulawada town up to 80 feet. The land acquisition of 35 acres of private patta land for expansion of temple Koneru was completed, and the compensation was also paid to the pattedars, the officials informed.

The government further proposes to expand the Baddi Pochamma Temple, and the land acquisition was taken up by the District Collector.

The official said that the award was passed and the compensation was paid for acquiring 4,704 square yards of the land. In addition to the development of the temple, other development activities proposed to be taken up in Vemulawada and its surrounding areas were the construction of a bus station, cottages, a pilgrim facilitation centre, a veda pathashala, and the development of Baddi Pochamma Temple and Nampalli Gutta, the officials said.