Hyderabad/Jagtial, Jan 3: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a series of development works at the renowned Kondagattu Sri Anjaneya Swamy (Lord Hanuman) temple in Jagtial district of Telangana, with the projects being funded by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
The foundation-laying ceremony was held in the presence of TTD Chairman B R Naidu, Telangana Minister for Scheduled Castes Development and Tribal Welfare Adluri Lakshman Kumar, and other dignitaries. The TTD has sanctioned ₹35.19 crore for the construction of new facilities aimed at improving amenities for devotees.
According to officials, the sanctioned amount will be used to build a Deeksha Viramana Mandapam and a 96-room pilgrims’ rest house (choultry). The mandapam is designed to accommodate around 2,000 devotees at a time, enabling them to perform the concluding rituals of Hanuman Deeksha, a devotional vow observed by thousands of pilgrims.
The development works were proposed after temple authorities and priests highlighted the lack of basic facilities, particularly for devotees travelling from distant places. Pawan Kalyan, who had earlier visited the temple after the elections to fulfil a vow, took up the issue with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and later with the TTD Chairman, leading to the approval of funds.
Arriving at the hill shrine by helicopter, the Deputy Chief Minister offered prayers to Lord Anjaneya, whom he described as his Ishta Daivam (family deity), and received Vedic blessings from the temple priests. Addressing the gathering, Pawan Kalyan said he considered it a privilege to worship Hanuman at Kondagattu and stressed the need for further development to enhance the pilgrimage experience.
He also assured efforts to facilitate the construction of a ‘giri pradakshina’ path, a circumambulatory route around the temple hill, and said he would personally participate in ‘kar seva’ for laying the pathway.
After the temple programme, Pawan Kalyan was scheduled to interact with Jana Sena Party leaders and cadres from Telangana, including representatives supported by the party in the recent panchayat elections.
The Kondagattu temple, one of the most prominent Hanuman shrines in the region, attracts lakhs of devotees annually, with the new facilities expected to significantly ease congestion and improve comfort for pilgrims.
