Kanipakam temple to get a makeover

Tirupati: The ancient Kanipakam Swayambu Varasidhi Vinayaka Swamy temple in Chittoor district will soon get a new look which will provide more comfort for devotees. An anonymous NRI devotee belonging to Vijayawada donated Rs.8.75 crore to the temple for the purpose.

It is now proposed to reconstruct the temple extending the length and width of the existing temple. The ground-breaking ceremony for the proposed reconstruction works of the temple will be held on June 13. Presently, the temple has Mushika and Maha mandapams which will become one in the new set up. The height of these mandapams will be increased along with the sanctum sanctorum. The sanctum sanctorum walls will remain intact until the roof height is increased. The devotees will have more convenience at the mandapams as they will become spacious and they can witness the presiding deity more pleasantly as the sanctum sanctorum also will be expanded.

Temple Executive Engineer I Venkata Narayana told The Hans India that the entire construction will be made of granite stones. After the works are completed devotees will not feel any suffocation inside the temple as the queue lines too will become spacious. More devotees can watch abhishekams and separate queue lines for entering the temple and exit will be provided. "Darshan of the presiding deity will be continued until the works of sanctum sanctorum are taken up. The expansion works will be completed within 45 days during which devotees can offer prayers at Balalayam. Total temple reconstruction works will be completed in 12 months," he said.

The thousand-year-old famous shrine near Chittoor has earned a reputation across the country and the visitors' flow has crossed one crore mark. The annual income of the temple has touched Rs 100 crore though it witnessed a huge fall in it since last year due to the Covid pandemic.