Hyderabad: With temples like the one at Yadadri and the Unesco-recognized Ramappa temple in Mulugu getting a facelift and new effort to refurbish other sites, temple tourism is in for a major boost in the state.
Recently, the government announced its decision to renovate the Anjaneya Swami temple in Kondagattu in Jagtial and Gnana Saraswati temple in Basra mandal on the lines of the Yadadri’s Laksmhi Narasimha temple.
Officials from Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) said that the government was keen on transforming temples to more than pilgrimage sites offering better facilities like accommodation and connectivity so as to attract tourists and thereby boost tourism.
A senior TSTDC official told Deccan Chronicle, “Previously many people did not know about Yadadri temple but after it was refurbished 50 per cent of tourists visiting the state enquire about the place. Like with Tirumala, the Yadadri temple is also drawing the attention of people. Around 30 per cent of tourists try to make it to Yadadri.”
“Apart from the Saraswati temple in Basara, more projects are in the pipeline for renovation like the Vemulawada Shiva temple. These developments have made temples a popular choice for tourist destinations”, said the official.
Heritage expert B. V. Papa Rao who is the founder of Kakatiya Heritage Trust and was instrumental in getting the Unesco tag for Ramappa temple, opines that it was important to preserve the historic heritage, which goes beyond temples.
Citing examples like Palakuthy and Valmidi in Warangal, Bammera village in Jangaon, Rao said, “The focus is mostly to preserve and popularise historic figures and forgotten historical relevance of these places. For example, places like Valmidi and Bammera have connections dating back to centuries. Currently our trust is working on the Bammera Pothana project where a statue of the poet and an interpretation centre will be constructed alongside the existing samadhi”, he said.
Rao said that similar projects will be taken up at NelaKondapalli, the birthplace of poet Bhakta Ramadasu and Valmidi, which has connections with Valmiki. It is believed that he wrote the Ramayana in this village.
