Kaleshwaram temple to turn into spiritual hub

Hyderabad: Good days are in store for the Kaleshwaram Temple as Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday announced its expansion and development with an expenditure of Rs 100 crore.

He also declared his intention to hold a mega yagam in the temple after the successful completion of the Kaleshwaram irrigation project.

KCR along with his wife, ministers and senior officials visited the temple, one of the famous temples of Lord Shiva, located on the banks of River Godavari on Sunday morning.

He wanted to transform the temple and its vicinity as an important tourist destination and a spiritual hub as the prestigious Kaleshwaram project is on the verge of completion and going to be a lifeline for the state.

Since the Kaleshwaram project is going to attain utmost prominence, lakhs of people will be visiting the place and accordingly, the temple has to be developed, the CM stressed.

He instructed Jayashankar Bhoopalpalli district authorities to procure 600 acres for the temple development.

For this purpose, if required, government, private and forest lands need to be acquired, the CM felt and directed the officials to take necessary steps.

The CM also desired to have a Kalyana Mandapam and place for discourses of visiting Seers.

Accordingly, the temple has to be expanded he said. KCR said the temple will be ideal for conducting holy rituals (yagas) as it is located on the banks of river Godavari.

For the ground breaking ceremony of reconstruction works, Sringeri Peethadhipathi Bharathi Teertha Swami will be invited, he said.

On the completion of Kaleshwaram barrages, Godavari waters will continuously remain up to 170 km until they touch the feet of Dharmapuri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy feet, he said.

The project once completed, with the blessings of Mukteswara Swamy, will irrigate 45 lakh acres of lands for both the crops, the CM said.

During the Telangana statehood movement, the sight of Godavari at Ramagundam used to bring in tears.

"I used to pray to the almighty for the waters to flow in Telangana and drop coins into the river. Now my prayers are heard, and Telangana problems are being addressed," he said.

Further, KCR said the integrated complex and residential quarters will be built for the archakas besides a Vedic school and a college. He has directed the officials to set up mesh facility at Pushkar ghats to avoid inconvenience to the public.

Along with KCR and family, ministers Erraballi Dayakar Rao, Koppula Eswar, MP Joginapalli Santosh Kumar, Chief Advisor to Government Rajiv Sarma, Advisor to Government Anurag Sarma, Chief Secretary SK Joshi, CMO official Smita Sabarwal, MLAs Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, Dasari Manohar Reddy, MLCs Naradasu Lakshman Rao and T Bhanu Prasad accompanied the CM during his visit.