HYDERABAD: After transforming Telangana’s famed Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple atop Yadadri into a thriving pilgrimage centre, and beginning work on the Lord Hanuman temple at Kondagattu, the state government has now begun the process of renovating another temple that occupies pride of place — the Gnana Saraswati temple, one of the country’s oldest Saraswati temples that is located on the banks of the Godavari in Basara mandal in Nirmal district.
A team of endowment officials travelled to Sringeri, Karnataka, and met with seers, notably the Sringeri Mutt pontiff Vidhushekhara Bharati Mahaswamiji, to seek their advice on how to renovate the Basara Saraswati temple in accordance with Agama Shastra rules. They made proposals for the renovation and expansion of the main temple complex.
One of the main features, apart from the renovation of the sanctum sanctorum with Krishna Shila (black stone), is a new construction which will house another idol of Goddess Saraswati. Since devotees will not have much time for darshan of the main idol in the sanctum sanctorum, they can have some time viewing the Goddess in this new construction, an official said.
Other features include the construction of Rajagopuram on four sides, setting up of Dwajasthambam, and yagashala, building ‘prakara mandapam,’ a Shivalayam inside the ‘prakaram,’ shifting the Dattatreya Swamy idol and expansion of the Aniveti mandapam.
The Sringeri Mutt pontiff Bharati Mahaswamiji suggested certain changes to the proposals made by the endowment officials.
Meanwhile, endowments minister A.Indrakaran Reddy met with officials who had returned from Sringeri on Thursday and instructed them to submit the master plan according to the suggestions provided by the Sringeri Mutt pontiff.
The officials were asked to prepare a separate master plan for setting up a queue complex, temple executive officer’s office, 100 rooms of choultry and 50 cottages to be built with the help of donors.
Further, he informed the officials that he wold submit the temple renovation plan and master plan to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for approval. The renovation works will begin as per the directions of CM, the minister stated.
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