Vijayawada: Durga temple to raise funds

Vijayawada: Kanakadurga temple authorities to get donations for implementing temple development master plans. The temple authorities have decided to visit industrial bigwigs like Tata, Birla, Amabanis, Adanis and others, along with politicians to request for temple development funds as it is estimated up to Rs 100 crore. Temple authorities have planned to form committees comprising officials and priests to pool the appeal for donations.

Temple authorities had mentioned about requesting TS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao also during his visit which is expected at the earliest.  For the development of Kanakadurga temple, separate master plans are being made for ghat road entrance with Raja Gopuram and waterfall in the front with Lord Siva’s statues, main temple of the Goddess, Malleshwara temple, Kanakadurga nagar and Arjuna Street with mandapams as in Tirumala for queue lines and a Vijaya Sthupam at the end of the street like Sanchi Sarnath stupa, permanent annadanam and prasadam preparation blocks, amphitheatre with 3D presentation which are estimated to cost Rs 100 crore, out of which Rs 3 crore is estimated for permanent annadanam and prasadam preparation blocks.

Temple executive officer A. Surya Kumari said, “With the donors and the government support, we are looking forward to implement the temple master plans. We already had mailed Birla group and Ambanis regarding for which they had responded positively. We are also willing to visit the industrialists, cine actors, from neighbouring states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana for the funds.”

She added that they shall seek the support of cine actors to introduce them to other celebrities to make them part and parcel of the temple development.  She also mentioned that they had decided to treat the donors as the privileged devotees, and for those who donate below Rs 10 lakh are given provision of Antharalayam darshanam or sevas for one time in a year, while for the donors above Rs 10 lakh can have for life time yearly once. Ms Kumari said that if any devotee donates full estimated cost for any construction their name shall be engraved on it.