Temple coffers swell in Telangana
Endowments Dept earned over Rs 500 cr in the last one year
Hyderabad: The incomes from the temples in Telangana have increased significantly during the past one year, with the Endowment Department earning revenue of over Rs 500 crore this year, compared to Rs 370 crore recorded during 2023. The famous Yadagirigutta Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple has earned over Rs 17 crore so far this year.
Officials attribute this increase to the developmental works taken up by the people’s government in shrines across the state. A senior official pointed out that, though only one temple was given importance during the previous government, the present government has been working to develop every temple in the state comprehensively.
According to official stats, at the end of the year 2023, the income from the 699 temple institutions in the state was Rs 373.55 crore. As many as 544.61 crore was received during 2024 through programmes. During the recent Karthika Masam, the Yadagirigutta Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple netted a huge income. During this period, a total of 20.52 lakh devotees visited the temple.
The officials believe that the number of devotees had increased due to the increase in pilgrim facilities and amenities provided by the people’s government. The temple received an income of Rs 17,62,33,331. During the previous year, the income was Rs 14,30,69,481. The total income the temple received was Rs 3,31,63,850 more than that registered last year. The official clarified that the department would make use of this money for the development of the temple. The official said that the Endowments Department has set a target for the development of temples in the state.
A master plan has been prepared for this and programmes for giving facelift to the shrines are being undertaken rapidly. As part of this process, developmental works are being executed in several temples across the state at a cost of about Rs 450 crore. Huge funds have been allocated for Cheruvugattu, Kondagattu, Bhadrachalam, and Vemulawada temples.
The official mentioned that the state government has sanctioned Rs 60.20 crores for land acquisition as part of the development of Seetharamachandra Swamy Temple in Bhadrachalam. Similarly, Rs 30 crore has been allocated from the Special Development Funds and the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA) funds for the arrangement and construction of the Madaveedhulu of Sri Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal.
