Amaravati, Apr 16 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday directed officials to prepare comprehensive temple town development plans to boost spiritual tourism and improve infrastructure around major religious centres in Andhra Pradesh.
Chairing a review meeting of the Endowments Department at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister stressed the need to enhance accommodation, sanitation, and crowd management systems, drawing from best practices followed by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
Naidu set an ambitious target to construct 5,000 temples across the state within the next two years using Srivani funds.
He directed officials to establish a state-level monitoring committee and adopt standardised designs for temple construction, including mandatory compound walls.
The Chief Minister asked officials to prepare master plans for 22 major temples, covering aspects such as devotee amenities, traffic management, parking, accommodation, and sanitation.
He noted that plans have already been prepared for prominent temples including Simhachalam Temple, Annavaram Temple, Dwaraka Tirumala Temple, Srikalahasti Temple and Kanipakam Temple, and directed that remaining plans be completed at the earliest.
Highlighting increasing pilgrim footfall, Naidu said over 1.20 crore devotees visited Srisailam and Vijayawada Kanaka Durga temples during 2025–26. Other major temples also saw high attendance, underlining the need for improved facilities.
He stressed that providing drinking water, accommodation, sanitation, and annadanam services is the responsibility of the Endowments Department.
The Chief Minister directed expansion of annaprasadam services on the lines of Tirumala, noting that currently 111 temples offer such services, with daily annadanam in 65 temples benefiting around 80,000 devotees.
He also called for the introduction of WhatsApp-based services, online platforms, and dedicated websites for temples, along with real-time dashboards to improve transparency and accessibility.
Naidu instructed officials to expedite appointments to key bodies such as the Agama Advisory Council, Endowment Tribunal, and temple trust boards, while emphasising improved governance and faster decision-making in the Endowments Department.
The Chief Minister said the initiative aims to enhance devotee experience while positioning Andhra Pradesh as a major destination for spiritual tourism.
TNT KM
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