KCR announces Rs 500 cr more for Kondagattu Anjanna temple development

KONDAGATTU: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) on Wednesday announced an additional Rs 500 crores for the development of the famous Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Kondagattu of Jagtial district. On February 7, 2023, KCR announced Rs 100 crores for this purpose. With the Rs 500 crores announced on Wednesday, the temple transformation including renovations will be taken up at a total cost of Rs 600 crores.

KCR, who visited the temple and offered prayers to the presiding deity, popularly revered as Kondagattu Anjanna, made this announcement as part of a master plan to give a facelift to the famous pilgrimage place in the region. The Chief Minister gave necessary direction on implementing the master plan during a meeting held with higher officials at JNTU, Nachupally after his darshan at the temple.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister asked the officials to take up the development works to suit the Agama Sastra traditions and that renovations should be carried out giving utmost priority to the convenience of the devotees. The temple should boast of all necessary features and facilities and when it is completed, it should emerge as the most popular Anjaneya Swamy temple in the country, he said.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister, who is on a day’s visit to the famous pilgrim hub, was accorded a traditional welcome with a ‘poorna kumbham’ by the priests upon his arrival at the temple. Later, they also blessed KCR amid chanting of vedic hymns.

Before touching down and worshipping Lord Anjaneya, KCR had an aerial survey of various prominent pilgrims spots including the temple tank (koneru), Kottha Pushkarini, Bethala Swamy Temple, Sithamma Kanneeti Dhaara and Kondalarayudi Gutta that are located on the famous Kodagattu hillock.

KCR’s visit to the temple assumes significance in the wake of his announcement on February 7, 2023 that the Kondagattu temple and its surrounding locales would be developed at a cost of Rs 100 crores. With a total of Rs 600 crores, the BRS supremo intends to give a facelift to the ancient temple and transform it on par with the Yadadri temple.

Earlier, KCR reached Kondagattu by a helicopter from Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad. He touched down in Kondagattu at a make-shift helipad on the Nachupally JNTU campus. He returned to Hyderabad following his meeting with the officials.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Telangana Ministers Koppula Eshwar, Allolla Indrakaran Reddy and Gangula Kamalakar, MP Damodar Rao, MLAs Jeevan Reddy, Balka Suman and Rasamayi Balkishan, MLC Ramana, Telangana State Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Vinod Kumar and a host of local leaders and officials.