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Chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy performed bhoomi pooja for reconstruction of nine temples that were demolished as part of developmental works during Krishna pushkarams in 2016, in Vijayawada on Friday.

The Chief Minister also laid foundation stones for other eight development works worth ₹77 crore at Durga temple. He unveiled two plaques at the construction site of the Saneeswara Swamy Temple.

Later, he visited Durga Temple atop Indrakeeladri. Temple priests and Vedic scholars offered him a traditional welcome to the Chief Minister. They presented him a memento, photograph of the presiding deity goddess Kanaka Durga, sesha vastra, and prasadam to him.

Mr. Jagan, later, released Endowments department calendar, and congratulated the officials for bringing out a nice calendar which depicts all important rituals of main temples in the state. He suggested the officials focussing on temple tourism and chalk out plans accordingly to develop the same.

Temples to be reconstructed in Vijayawada are Rahu – Kethu Temple, Sri Anjaneyaswamy Temple on the way to Durga Temple), Sri Seethamma Vari Paadaalu, Dakshinamukha Anjaneyaswamy Temple, Saneeswara Swamy Temple, Sri Dasanjaneya Swamy Vaari Temple, Boddu Bomma, Sri Veera Babu Swamy Temple (Near Police Control Room), Gosala Krishna Temple. It is estimated that ₹1.79 crore is required for the reconstruction of the temples. In addition, about ₹2 crore donor works would also be taken up. It takes the total expenditure to ₹3.79 crore.

At Kanaka Durga temple, a potu (temple kitchen) with an estimated cost of ₹5.6 crore; Anna prasadam complex (₹19.7 crore); keshakandhana sala (tonsuring hall/building– ₹23.6 crore); sivalayam extension works ( ₹2 crore); sivalayam(₹5.6 crore) will be constructed. About ₹6.5 crore will be spent on fencing etc works to protect from landslide/boulder slides on ghat road. Also, a toll plaza onlines of Tirumala with a cost of ₹5.25 crore is being planned.Of the total ₹77 crore, Devasthanam has to shoulder ₹7 crore while remaining will be given by the government.

Ministers Velampalli Srinivas Rao, Botsa Satyanarayana, Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao (Nani), Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani), Endowments Secretary Girija Shankar, Commissioner Arjuna Rao, Krishna district collector Md. Imtiyaz, Brahmin Corporation chairman Malladi Vishnu, Kanaka Durga Chairman Pyla Somi Naidu, EO Suresh Babu and others were present.

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