Amaravati, Oct 12 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Monday that Tirupati will be developed as a world-class spiritual centre.
As part of this initiative, he virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation for development works worth Rs 3,222 crore under Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) from the Secretariat.
The Chief Minister laid the foundation for an integrated pilgrim township at an estimated cost of Rs 2,750 crore to provide comprehensive facilities to devotees visiting Tirumala.
The township is being developed near the SV Zoological Park Road at Alipiri in Tirupati to ensure a safe, comfortable and spiritually enriching experience for pilgrims arriving from across India and abroad.
The project will bring accommodation, Annadanam (free meals), rest facilities, transportation, parking, medical services and digital information centres under one roof.
Accommodation facilities worth Rs 1,332 crore will be developed across four blocks, each comprising ten floors, with a total of 2,700 rooms. These facilities will be able to accommodate approximately 15,000 devotees per day.
The project aims to ease the pressure on accommodation facilities atop Tirumala while providing improved amenities to pilgrims in Tirupati itself.
Emphasising that Annadanam is one of the most sacred forms of service, the Chief Minister said that providing food to hungry devotees and accommodation to tired pilgrims was equivalent to serving the Almighty. An Annaprasadam centre will be constructed at a cost of Rs 160 crore, with facilities to serve 6,000 devotees at a time.
To address parking difficulties, a multi-level parking complex with a capacity of 4,500 vehicles will be developed at a cost of Rs 311 crore. An integrated transport terminal featuring 30 bus bays will also be established at a cost of Rs 90 crore.
Keeping in view Tirupati’s growing population, increasing vehicular traffic and future infrastructure requirements, nine master plan roads will be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 242 crore. The project covers approximately 20 km of roads, with TUDA developing 16.50 km at a cost of Rs 127 crore and TTD developing 3.60 km at a cost of Rs 115 crore.
The roads will strengthen connectivity between National Highways 140 and 71 and improve transportation facilities for devotees visiting the Padmavathi Ammavari Temple at Tiruchanur.
The Chief Minister said the government was giving priority to the welfare of TTD employees and their families, who remain dedicated to serving Lord Venkateswara and the devotees. With the objective of enabling employees to live with dignity in their own homes, residential layouts are being developed across 418 acres. Infrastructure facilities for the residential plots of 5,192 employees under the first and second phases will be provided at a cost of Rs 230 crore. Of this amount, TTD will contribute Rs 150 crore and employees Rs 80 crore.
The Chief Minister directed officials to establish a Pilgrim Experience Centre to familiarise devotees with the history of Tirumala, the glory of Lord Venkateswara and its spiritual traditions. He also called for the development of digital information centres, emergency medical assistance facilities and modern security systems.
Officials were instructed to ensure that devotees receive comprehensive information and return from Tirupati with a satisfying spiritual experience.
The Chief Minister launched the Venkatadri app, designed to provide information and assistance to pilgrims. He emphasised that the sacred atmosphere associated with Tirumala should also be reflected in Tirupati. The city should not be developed merely as a pilgrimage destination but as an integrated urban centre combining spirituality, environmental conservation, modern technology, education, employment and tourism.
–IANS
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