Yadadri set to open for devotees from Monday

Hyderabad: The wait is finally over. Devotees will be permitted into the sanctum sanctorum of the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at the magnificently renovated Yadadri temple from Monday. Devotees will realise that the long wait lasting almost six years for the main temple to reopen was well worth it since the entire complex has undergone […]

Hyderabad: The wait is finally over. Devotees will be permitted into the sanctum sanctorum of the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy at the magnificently renovated Yadadri temple from Monday.

Devotees will realise that the long wait lasting almost six years for the main temple to reopen was well worth it since the entire complex has undergone a mind-boggling transformation. From a small temple constructed in about 2,500 square yards to a grand complex covering about four acres now, the Yadadri temple wears a completely new and majestic look. In the past, there was hardly any space for devotees to move around after darshan or to get prasadam.

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Such has been the expansion that at any given point of time now, one lakh devotees can sit in the open spaces around the temple. There are Mada Veedhis around the temple and a Ratham (Lord’s chariot) procession can be taken out comfortably.

The towering gopurams, beautifully carved sculptures in the inner and outer Prakarams, Alwars statues, Prahalada history, Addala Mandapam, the aesthetically designed main door on the Raja Gopuram and queue lines, attractive illumination, are bound to leave the devotees spellbound.

To facilitate renovation and developmental works, the main temple was closed for devotees about six years ago and a Balalayam (temporary temple) was constructed as per Shastras. Since then, all the pujas and rituals were being performed in the Balalayam on par with the main temple.

In 2015, the Yadadri Temple Development Authority (YTDA) was set up to execute the renovation and reconstruction works at the temple. Krishna Shila (black stone) was sourced from Prakasham in Andhra Pradesh. Every day, about 500 sculptors and workers from different places including Allagadda, Karimnagar and Tamil Nadu toiled long and hard to carve out a spectacular and spacious temple.

The temple works, especially the sculptures, would mesmerize devotees for years to come. Every stone block and the finished pillar were tested for strength and quality by expert agencies, YTDA vice-chairman G Kishan Rao said.

The striking part is that conventional materials such as cement, bricks and concrete were not used for the temple works. As per heritage norms, lime and mortar are used for laying, jointing and bonding stones. This itself was a major challenge, he said,

Since 2015, about Rs.1,000 crore was spent on the entire project and of these, nearly Rs 280 crore was spent on temple renovation and reconstruction works. The remaining amount went towards land acquisition, road laying, infrastructure development, among other things, Kishan Rao said.

But for the support and guidance of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, it would not have been possible to execute such a prestigious project. He inspected the renovation and reconstruction works 17 times, he said.

“All these efforts and hardwork of so many people including sculptors, workers and officials ultimately paid off. Yadadri will draw devotees from across the country and world over,” Kishan Rao said.

CM KCR to perform Kalasha pujas

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao will participate in the Mahakumbha Samprokshana atop the hill at 11.55 am on Monday. The Chief Minister will perform Kalasha pujas and participate in the procession carrying the presiding deity from Balalayam to the sanctum sanctorum in the main temple.

After the Mahakumbha Samproshana and other rituals, devotees will be permitted entry into the sanctum sanctorum for darshan from 4 p.m onwards, temple officials said.

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