The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Silver `makarathoranam' for Kanakamahalakshmi temple

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 04, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Silver `makarathoranam' for Kanakamahalakshmi temple

By Our Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM, MARCH 3. The sanctum sanctorum of Sri Kanakamahalakshmi temple in old city will get a silver makarathoranam besides having all the four stone pillars silver-plated at a cost of Rs. 25 lakhs in about a month's time.

Announcing this at a press conference here on Thursday, the temple board chairman, Vankayala Sanyasi Raju, said that about 150 to 180 kg of silver would be required for the purpose which would be raised through contributions from devotees. The existing makarathoranam was carved in stone. He appealed to the devotees to contribute to the programme.

There was a steady increase in the temple's income which rose nearly five fold during the last ten years, he said. While the income through assessable sources, hundi collections, darsanam tickets and prasadams was Rs. 67.89 lakhs in 1993-94, it was Rs. 3.47 crores in 2003-04.

Developmental works

On other developmental works, he said that the temple would acquire seven houses over an extent of about 700 sq yds in the vicinity at a cost of Rs. 56 lakhs and proposed to construct a mahaprakaram, rajagopuram, kalyanamandapam-cum-auditorium, completion of the construction of two main entrance gates. A master plan for the next 25 years would be planned and executed accordingly, he revealed.

Free prasadam

Mr. Sanyasi Raju said that stalls of the temple would be set up at the railway station and RTC bus stand on the same lines as the Simhachalama temple.

Prasadam would be distributed to all the devotees having darshan of the goddess. Devotees who had made significant contributions would be given special identity cards and provided darasan whenever they visited the temple, he announced.

Another step receiving acclaim would be presentation of kumkum and blouse piece to the bride visiting the temple immediately after wedding, he stated.

Work launched

The silver work was formally launched on Thursday morning at the temple premises by the chairman and trustees of the temple.

A significant contributor to the work and managing partner of CMR, Mavuri Venkata Ramana, and the city Congress president, Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao, attended the function.

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