Telangana: Spiritual tourism circuit in Jangaon

The State government is developing a spiritual tourism circuit in Jangaon district with an outlay of Rs 38.50 crore.

Jangaon: Since many historical and spiritual places of Telangana were neglected in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, the Telangana government is now leaving no stone un-turned to protect and renovate these places ever since the State was formed to pass on the legacy to future generations.

As part of this, the State government is developing a spiritual tourism circuit in Jangaon district with an outlay of Rs 38.50 crore. Construction of memorials for Bammera Pothana and Palkuriki Somanna (Somanatha), the great poets, was taken up at Bammera and Palakurthy villages, their birthplaces, respectively, in the district.

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While Pothana (1450 AD- 1510) is regarded as the ‘saint poet’, Somanna (1160 AD- 1240 AD) is said to be the first poet (Aadi Kavi) in Telugu. Somanatha was also an accomplished writer in Kannada and Sanskrit.

Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, Palakurthy MLA and Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had visited Bammera in Palakurthy mandal and laid the foundation for the Pothana memorial in April 2017 as he was keen on developing the area as a spiritual and cultural tourism circuit.

“While Rs 16.50 crore was allotted for the development of Palakurthy Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple and other works at Palakurthy, Rs 16 crore was allotted for constructing a memorial for Pothana at Bammera and Rs 6 crore for the Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple at Valmidi village,” he said.

Development works at these places have reached the last leg. Cottages, kalyana mandapams, gopurams and other development works on Palakurthy and Valmidi temples were taken up, Rao said, adding that a guest house by the TSTDC would also be constructed at the Palakurthy reservoir soon.

Meanwhile, an 11-foot granite statue of Palkuriki Somanna was installed at the memorial at the foothill at Palakurthy. The total height of the statue, including the raised platform, is 42 feet. A Somanatha temple, garden, and library too are coming up here.

On the other hand, officials are in the process of installing an 18-foot tall bronze statue of Pothana at Bammera village near his ‘samadhi’. “We are planning to finish the installation of the statue by March. The statue will be made by ‘shilpis’ from Tamil Nadu. We are constructing a convention centre, an interpretation centre, a food court, toilet block and an amphitheatre at Bammera. The statue of Pothana will be installed at the amphitheatre,” he said.

The State government is also laying two-lane roads to Station Ghanpur, Jangaon, Nanchari Maduru, Rayaparthi, Kodakandla, Mondrai and Zaffergadh at a total cost of Rs 150 crore, the Minister said.