The TTD is looking forward to building a permanent temple in Amaravati that resembles the one in Tirumala and following up the proposal to construct similar temples in Hyderabad and Kurukshetra, among other major Indian cities.

“The TTD has finalised some plans for the proposed temple at Amaravati, and the government has agreed, in principle, to provide land,” said TTD Joint Executive Officer K.S. Srinivasa Raju.

Addressing the media at the TTD Kalyanamandapam here on Thursday, Mr. Raju said that the replica temple at the PWD grounds could be adopted by the government for the one planned to be built at Amaravati.

However, he did not reveal the extent of land the government agreed to give in Amaravati and the quantum of investment.

‘Anna prasadam’

About the arrangements made by the TTD for the Krishna Pushkarams, Mr. Raju said ‘anna prasadam’ was being distributed to 1,10,000 pilgrims every day in Krishna and Guntur districts.

The food is being prepared by about 100 cooks and 700 workers of the TTD from 1 a.m. and despatched to the ghats in the above districts. Nearly 75 per cent of the food goes to six Pushkar Nagars in Krishna district and four in Guntur.

Mr. Raju said that the ‘anna prasadam’ scheme had been launched at Tirumala by then Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao in 1984, and it had since grown in popularity. From then, the number of devotees taking free meal at Tirumala increased to approximately 1,15,000, Mr. Raju said.