HYDERABAD: Chants of ‘Om Namo Sri Lakshminarasimhaaya Namaha' by devotees reverberated across the Yadadri hill on Monday. Gone was the tiny shrine of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy atop the hill, and in its place, devotees for the first time in six years, saw a magnificent blackstone temple rise before their eyes as they entered the renovated main temple complex.
The temple complex has been developed on 14 acres at a cost of ₹1,020 crore. A temple town will also be developed on 850 acres around the complex.
“We are delighted that the CM’s vision is now a reality. He took a keen interest at all stages of the project with regular visits, briefings, reviews and inspections. It is a matter of great pride to see the temple finally restored to this glory,” said G Kishan Rao, chief executive officer, Yadagirigutta Temple Development Authority (YTDA).
Earlier, at around 9.30 am, KCR and his family members arrived at the Yadadri hillock and took part in the ‘shobha yatra’, where presiding deities were shifted from the Balalayam on palanquin to the sanctum sanctorum. KCR also carried a palanquin on his shoulders. Later, he participated in the ‘mahakumbha samprokshana’, performed the kalasha pujas at the top of the temple’s gopuram.
The temple priests offered the ‘naivedyam’ — also called ‘maharaja bhogam’ — of pulihora (lemon rice), laddu, vada and bajjis and tulasidala theertham, to Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy.
Apart from devotees, it was a joyous occasion for local shopkeepers, hotel and lodge owners, petty vendors and those selling puja material at the foot of Yadagirigutta as well. “It is very satisfying to see that we have successfully been able to remodel the temple premises and restore its grandeur ,” said a senior stapathy, who played a key role in carving black granite gopurams of the temple complex.
